ASSEMBLY OF THE SAGES
CALLED ALSO THE BOOK OF TRUTH IN THE
ART AND THE THIRD PYTHAGORICAL SYNOD

AN ANCIENT ALCHEMICAL TREATISE TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN, THE CHIEF
READINGS OF THE SHORTER CODEX, PARALLELS FROM THE GREEK
ALCHEMISTS, AND EXPLANATIONS OF OBSCURE TERMS

BY

ARTHUR EDWARD WAITE
TRANSLATOR OF " THE HERMETIC AND ALCHEMICAL WRITINGS
OF PARACELSUS."

Xonbon

GEORGE REDWAY
1896

LIBRARY

PREFACE,
nnHE

Tuvha Philosophorum

is

indisputably the

most ancient extant treatise on Alchemy in
the Latin tongue, but it was not, so far as can
be ascertained, originally written
compiler or editor, for in

many

in

Latin

respects

;

the

it

can

scarcely be regarded as an original composition,

wrote either in Hebrew or Arabic

;

however, the

work, not only at the present day, but seemingly
during the six or seven centuries

quoted as an authority by

all

adepts, has been familiar only in
It is not,
is

when

it

was

the alchemical
its

Latin garb.

of course, certain that the original

irretrievably lost,

the Arabic

and Syriac

manuscripts treating of early chemistry are
preserved

in

various libraries

been

numbers in the
of Europe, and have only

considerable

imperfectly

Unfortunately,

explored.

the present editor has neither the opportunity

nor the qualifications for undertaking such a
task.

There are two codices or recensions of The
Turba Philosophorum, which

from

one

following

another.

pages

the

What

differ
is

second

considerably

called in

recension,

the
is

appreciably shorter, clearer, and, on the whole,
the less corrupt of the two, but they are both

Preface.

ii.

bad

in a

The

state.

longer recension has been

chosen for the text of the following translation,

because

it

seemed desirable to give the work

The

in its entirety.

variations of the second

recension are appended usually in foot-notes,

but where the reading of the text

so corrupt

is

as to be quite untranslatable, the

editor has

occasionally substituted that of the alternative

and has

version,

most cases indicated the

in

course pursued.

Monsieur Berthelot's

invaluable

translation of the Byzantine

been largely made use

to

of,

and

text

Alchemists has
.

the

illustrate

between the Greek Hermetic
fourth
century and the Turba.
writers of the

striking analogies

It is to this great scholar

owe

and

we

scientist that

the discovery of these analogies,

some

of

which are very

clearly indicated in a chapter

devoted

the

to

part of
la

Science

forming

au

Moyen

Age."

It

which has always been
an Arabian source,
to
Alchemy
the
Greek

Alchemy,
referred

rightly

connects

which

Antique

and

sur la Transmission de

from M. Berthelofs researches, that

follows

Latin

subject,

" Essai

his

with

preceded

the latter

was

Arabian

itself

Science,

are also enabled to identify, for the

and that with perfect
sages, to

whom

all

because

derived from Greece.
first

We
time,

certainty, those ancient

the Latin literature makes

Preface.

iii.

requent and reverent allusion
they

that

are

Zosimus,

we now know

;

Panopolite,

the

the adepts of the school of Democritus, and the
other writers preserved in the Byzantine collec-

M.

tion.

Berthelot, however, infers that the

Greek influence found
not a
phorum was

in

Turba

The

direct

Philoso-

influence,

but

was derived mediately through channels
which are now unknown
In any case
the Turba summarises the author's preceding
Geber, and
it

is

is

therefore the

most valuable, as

the most ancient, treatise

which

The

on Alchemy,

exists in the Latin language.

chief printed versions of The Turba Philo-

sophoruntj are

those of the " Theatrum Chemi-

cum," the *'Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa," and
that of the smaller collection entitled " Artis

There are some translawork existing in German and some
French. Those in the latter language are

Auriferae Tractatus."
tions of the
also in

specially remarkable for the very slender
in

which they represent the

way
The

original.

versions contained in Salmon's " Bibliotheque

des Philosophes Alchimiques," and in the

**

Trois

Anciens Traictes de la Philosophic Naturelle,"
are instances
in

manuscript

in point.
is

known

and it will be found
amongst the treasures
It is

in

One English

version

to the present editor,

the British

Museum

of the Sloane collection.

rendered, however, from the French, and

Preface,

iv.

has been found useless for the purposes of this
translation.
It

may be added

that the great collections of
"
*'

Alchemy, such as the

Theatrum Chemicum

and Mangetus, contain colloquies, commentaries, and enigmas which pretend to elucidate
the

mysteries

of

The

Turba

Philosophorum,

While they are of a considerably later date,
they at the same time belong to the early
period of Latin Alchemy.
It may be added
also that the editor has collected a consider-

able

amount

of material concerning this curious

work, which the limits of the present volume
preclude him from

utilising.

Arthur Edward Waite.

The Turba Philosophorum,
Taken from an Ancient Manuscript Codex,
more perfect than any edition
published heretofore.

^^mhe

Epistle of Arisleus, prefixed to the

Words

^V

of the Sages, concerning the purport of this

^H

Book, for

^H

same being as here follows

BA

the Benefit of Posterity,

RISLEUS,*

XJL

:

—

and

the

begotten of Pytha-

goras, a disciple of the disciples

by the grace of thrice great Hermes,
learning from the seat of knowledge,
unto

all

who

come

health and mercy.
*

An

Abladus.

I

after

wisheth

testify that

my

ancient gloss describes Arisleus as the son of

M. Berthelot supposes him

to be

synonymous

with the Aristenes of the second recension {Eleventh Dictum)

and of the Exercitationes on the Turba, which are found
in the first

volume of the Bibliotheca Chemica.

the similarity of the
are

name, and the

mutilated in the

fact that

Beyond

most names

Turba, there seems no reason to

suppose that the compiler intended to connect Pythagoras
with alchemical traditions through Aristeus, the sophist of
the time of Antoninus.

B

—
The Turha Phiiosophorum.

Pythagoras,*

master,

the

Italian,

master of the wise and chief of the
Prophets, had a greater

gift

God

of

and of Wisdom than was granted to
Therefore
any one after Hermes.
he had a mind to assemble his disciples, who were now greatly increased,
and had been constituted the chief
throughout

persons

regions

all

for

the discussion of this most precious
Art,

that

foundation

to

might

Iximidrus,

be the

first

be

He

posterity.

for

commanded
council,

words

their

of

a

then

highest

speaker,

who

said :t
• The Greek
make no mention

describes

alchemists of the Byzantine Collection
of Pythagoras,

and the

tradition

which

him as an adept of the Hermetic Mystery must

be referred to an Arabian origin, to the treatises of El
Habib, the Kitab-al-Firhirst, and the true Geber, where
alchemical writings

attributed

to

this

sage are freely

quoted.

fThe French version of Salmon has the following distinct
" The beginning of the book, the Turba of the

variations

:

—

Philosophers, in which Arisleus has gathered together the

sayings of the

introducing

more

prudent

Pythagoras

the

among

the

Philosopher,

collecting the opinions of the scholars.

scholars,

that

The book

by

Master
is

also

called the Third Pythagorical Synod, instituted concerning

|

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

3

The First Dictum.

IxiMiDRUS

saith

beginning of

—

things

all

Nature, which

is

that the

testify

I

a Certain

is

perpetual, coequalling

and that the visible natures,
with their births and decay, are times
herein the ends to which that nature
rings them are beheld and summoned.*
Now, I instruct you that
the stars are igneous, and are kept
within bounds by the air.
If the
humidity and density of the air did
all things,

m

Occult

But

Philosophy.

scholar, Eximidrius, to

commanded

Pythagoras

begin the

discourse,"

&c.

his

The

French translator seems to have summarised the recensions

which he had collected, and to have put them, to some
extent, in

own words.

his

Here, however, he follows

mainly the text of the second recension, the chief variation
being that instead of " Occult Philosophy " the original
reads " the vegetable stone."
*

The same French Translation interprets this obscure
" The beginning of all things is a

passage as follows
certain nature

decocts

all

;

:

—

it is

perpetual, infinite

But

things.

;

it

nourishes and

and the times

this nature

of

corruption

and generation

which

attained unto, and which the universal nature

it is

nourishes and decocts."
passage, as follows
are

:

—

'*

are,

as

it

were, the terms by

The second recension varies the last
The actions and passions thereof

known and understood only by those

knowledge

of the

Sacred Art

is

to

whom

given."

B2

a

The Turba Philosophonim.

4

not exist to

separate the flames of

the sun from living things, then the

Sun would consume all creatures.
But God has provided the separating
lest

air,

He has created
up.
Do you not

that which

should be burnt

observe that the Sun

when

it

rises in

overcomes the air by its
and that the warmth penetrates
from the upper to the lower parts of
the heaven
heat,

the air?

If,

then,

the

air

did

not

presently breathe forth those winds
whereby creatures are generated, the
Sun by its heat would certainly destroy
all that lives.
But the Sun is kept
in check by the air, which thus con-

quers because

Sun

to its

it

own

unites the heat of the

heat,

and the humidity

own humidity. Have
you not remarked how tenuous water
of water to

is

of

drawn up

its

by the action
the Sun, which thus

into the air

the heat of

helps the water against itself?

If the

water did not nourish the air by such
tenuous moisture, assuredly the

would overcome the

air.

The

Sun
fire,

The Turba Philosophoruw.

extracts moisture from the

therefore,

water, by

means

quers the

water
there

fire

are
is

5

of which the air con-

Thus, fire and
between which

itself.

enemies

no consanguinity,

for the fire

is hot and dr}^, but the water is cold
and moist. The air, which is warm
and moist, joins these together by its
concording medium
between the
humidity of water and the heat of
;

thus placed to estab-

fire

the air

is

lish

peace.

And

look ye

how

there

from the tenuous

shall arise a spirit

vapour of the

all

air,

because the heat

humour, there
necessarily issues something tenuous,
which will become a wind. For the
heat of the Sun extracts something
tenuous out of the air, which also
becomes spirit and life to all creatures.
being

joined

the

to

All this, however, is disposed in such

manner by the

will

coruscation appears

of

when

God, and a
the heat of

Sun touches and breaks up a cloud.
The Turba saith: Well hast thou

the

—

described the

fire,

even as thou knowest

:

6

The Turba Philosophorum,

it, and thou hast believed
word
of
thy brother.
the

concerning

The Second Dictum,

ExuMDRUs

—

do magnify the
air according to the mighty speech of
Iximidrus, for the work is improved
thereby. The air is inspissated, and

made

also

it is

saith

and becomes

I

thin

grows

it

;

The

cold.

when

thereof takes place

warm

inspissation
is

it

divided

heaven by the elongation of the

in

Sun

its

;

rarefaction

is

Sun

exaltation of the

when, by the

in heaven,

the

becomes warm and is rarefied. It
comparable with the complexion of

air
is

the distinction

Spring,*

in

which

neither

is

warm nor

of time,

cold.

For

according to the mutation of the con*

A

CrateSf

similar comparison

where

philosophical

it

fire

is

is

used

in the

Arabian Book of

enjoined that the operation of the

upon the philosophical matter should be

regulated after the same manner as Nature regulates the
influence of the four

moreover, represents

seasons;

still

and the same

philosophy as using the same illustration.
that the

Crates.

Turba

treatise,

older expositions of alchemical

in its original

It

is

probable

form antedated the Book of

The Ttirba Philosophonim,
stituted disposition

with the altering

distinctions of the soul, so

The

altered.

7

Winter

is

air, therefore, is

inspis-

sated when the Sun is removed from it,
and then cold supervenes upon men.

Whereat

Turba

the

said:

— Excel-

and
what thou knowest to

lently hast thou described the air,

given account of

be therein.

The Third Dictum,

Anaxagoras

saith

:

—

that the beginning of

which God

make known

I

those things

all

hath created

is

weight and

proportion,* for weight rules

all

things,

and the weight and spissitude of the
earth

is

weight

manifest in proportion
is

not found except in

And know,

ye

all

;

but

body.

Turba, that

the

spissitude of the four elements reposes
in

the earth
*

The

original

of the term pietas

for

;

is

the spissitude of

pietas et ratio, but the technical use

by the Hebrew or Arabic original seems

obviously to connect

it

with the sense of the Hebrew Paz,

signifying compactness.

Compare

Piezo, to press or squeeze down.

also the

Greek verb

:

The Turba Philosophorum,

8

into

fire

falls

air,

together

water;

with

the

the

fire,

from

received

the spissitude

air,

into

falls

the spissitude also of water,

increased by the spissitude of

observed

how

four elements

The same,
sated than

fire

of

the spissitude
is

Then

—Thou hast well

the

conjoined in earth

therefore,
all.

and

Have you not

reposes in earth.

air,

of

spissitude

is

more

saith the

spoken.

?

inspis-

Turba

:

Verily the

more inspissated than are the
rest.
Which, therefore, is the most
rare of the four elements and is most
earth

is

worthy to possess the rarity of these
four

?

He

answereth

:

— Fire

is

the

most rare among all, and thereunto
Cometh what is rare of these four.
But air is less rare than fire, because
fire is
it is warm and moist, while
warm and dry now that which is
warm and dry is more rare than the
warm and moist. Thev say unto him
;

and dry is of less rarity than that
which is cold and moist. Pythagoras
saith :
Well have ye provided, O
Sons of the Doctrine, the description
of these four natures,* out of which

—

God

hath created

therefore, is he

Blessed,

all things.

who comprehends what

ye have declared,

from the apex of

for

the world he shall not find an intention
greater than his
fore,

reply

make

own

Let

!

us, there-

perfect our discourse.

— Direct

They

every one to take up

Speak thou,

our speech in turn.

O

Pandolfus
*" You have been
of four elements.

told

Know

.

.

that the ancients discoursed

.

that

it

is

by means

of these four

elements that humid and dry things are constituted, as
also things

warm and cold,

[elements] rise up and two

elements are
-are

fire

and

air

;

the male and the female.
fall

down.

Two

The two ascending

the two descending elements

earth and water."— Olympiodorus

On

the Sacred Art.

:

:

:

The Turha Philosophorum.

10

The Fourth Dictum,

But Pandolfus

saith

posterity that air

from
earth,

water, which

it

is

not separated

is

under the earth.

this air did not exist, the earth

not remain above the

humid water.

—Thou hast
continueth — The

They answer

said

well

hidden
that

is

lest

it

in the

which

;

and

the earth from
that water.
is,

is

water under the earth
sustains

the

should be plunged

said water

;,

But

which

air

:

If

would

complete, therefore, thy speech.
he

tO'

the air hidden in the

wit,

to

signify

remains above the dry

It

it.

I

a tenuous matter

is

of water, and that

—

it,

the

moreover, prevents

being

The

therefore, to

earth,

into

overflowed by

province of the air

fill

up and

to

make

separation between diverse things, that

and earth, and it isconstituted a peacemaker
between
hostile things, namely, water and fire,
dividing these, lest they destroy one
The Turba saith
another.
If you
gave an illustration hereof, it would be

is

to say, water

—

The Turba Philosophorum.

He

stand.

who do

those

clearer to

answer eth

:

ii

not under-

—An

Qgg

is

an

illustration, for therein four things are

conjoined

the visible cortex or shell

;

represents the earth, and the albumen,
I

or white part,

But a

the water.*

is

very thin inner cortex

joined to the

is

outer cortex, representing, as

I

have

medium

signified to you, the separating

between earth and water, namely, that

which divides the earth from the
water.
The yolk also of the egg
represents fire
the
cortex which
air

;

contains the yolk corresponds to that
*

The

allegory of the philosophical egg can be traced

to the Greek alchemists.

under this

title,

A

short treatise

Eggi which

is

composed of

four elements, because

world.

It

is

the stone which

is

tin,

lead.

;

it

The white of

native sulphur, mercury, &c.
is fire.

extant

symbolically,

the image of the

The

shell is likened to

has been named copper,
the ^gg

The

is

divine water,

The yolk

is

copperas,

oily part (? the chicken)

But the egg, symbolical as
described

is

it

water of the sea, water of alum, &c.

itself

still

not a stone, the stone of

copper, the Armenian stone, &c.

the earth, being cold and dry
iron,

is

and another on the Nomenclature of the
described as the Mystery of the Art. It is

after

it

is,

is

sometimes

the similitude of a

likened to the skin which covers the

seed

;

the shell

seed

;

the white and the yolk are the flesh, and the watery

part

is

is

the breath, or air.

The Turba Philosophorum,

12

Other air which separates the water

from the

But they are both one

fire.

and the same

namely, that which

air,

separates things

frigid,

the earth from

the water, and that which separates

from

water

the

lower air

is

the

But the

fire.

thicker than the upper

and the upper

air is

more rare and

being nearer to the

subtle,

the lower

air,

than

fire

In the egg, therefore,

air.

are four things

— earth, water,

air,

and

But the point of the Sun, these

fire.

four excepted,

and

yolk,

quently,

is

in the centre of the

this is the chicken.

all

Conse-

philosophers in this most

excellent art have described the egg as

an example, which same thing they
have set over their work.
The Fifth Dictum.

Arisleus

saith:

— Know that the

and not a

earth

is

a

all

the zones of the earth in a single

which
reason the Sun does not ascend over

hour

hill

;

rise in

but

a

if it

were

moment

plain,

flat,

for

the sun would

over the whole earth.

I

:

The Turba Philosophorum,

—Thou hast spoken
Arisleus
He answereth —

Parmenides

O

briefly,

Is
there
X,
s

Yet

saith

:

:

!

anything the Master has

which
I

13

bears

testify

that

otherwise

witness

God

is

left
?

one, having

never engendered or been

begotten,

and that the head of all things after
Him is earth and fire, because fire is
tenuous and light, and it rules all
things on earth, but the earth, being
ponderous and gross, sustains all
things which are ruled by fire.
The Sixth Dictum.

Lucas

— You

speak only about
and each one of you
observes something concerning these.
Now, I testify unto you that all things
which God hath created are from these
four natures, and the things which
have been created out of them return
saith

four natures

into them.

;

In these

living creatures

are generated and die, and

take place as

Democritus,
answereth

:

God hath
the

all

things

predestinated.

disciple

— Thou hast well

of

Lucas,

spoken,

O

O

:

The Ttirba Philosophorum.

14

Lucas, when dealing with the four
Then saiih Arisleus
natures
:

!

—

Democritus, since thy knowledge was
derived from Lucas,

among

to speak

is

it

presumption

who

those

acquainted with thy master
answereth:

from

me

!

Lucas

—Albeit Democritus received

the science of natural things,

was derived from the
the Indies and from

that knowledge

philosophers of
the Babylonians

those of his

;

I

think he surpasses

own age

TuRBA

The

are well

in this

answereth

attains to that age*

small satisfaction,

he

learning.

— When
will give,

but being in

he

no
his

youth he should keep silence.
The Seventh Dictum,

LocusTA

saith

:

— All

those

creatures

which have been described by Lucas
are two only, of which one is neither
*

Whether the age indicated

is

that of the Indian

and

Babylonian adepts does not appear, but the entire episode
is

remarkable

when

it

is

borne

in

mind what great impor-

tance evidently attached to the Democritic school of Greek

seems to indicate that the Turba Philo-

alchemy.

It

sophorum

represents a tradition hostile to the tradition of

:

!

The Tnrha Philosophorum.

known nor
for

it is

saith

:

expressed, except by piety,

not seen or

—Thou

hast

subject which,

describe

what

15

Pythagoras
entered upon a

felt.

completed, thou wilt

if

State,

subtly.

therefore,

which is neither felt,
Then he
seen, nor known.
It is that
which is not known, because in this
world it is discerned by reason without
the clients thereof, which are sight,
hearing, taste, smell, and touch.
O
is

this thing

—

Crowd

of the Philosophers,

not that

it

is

only sight which can

white

distinguish

know you

from

black,

and

hearing only which can discriminate

good and bad word
Similarly, a wholesome odour cannot
be separated by reason from one which
between

is

fetid,

a

except through the sense of

can sweetness be discriminated from bitterness save by means of
taste, nor smooth from rough unless
smell, nor

and more lucid. This light,
more lucid than the light of
the Sun, they have taken from the light
of God, which is more subtle than their
subtle

which

is

Know

light.

world

is

also

that

the created

composed of two dense things

and two rare things, but nothing of the
dense

the

in

is

sublime

Consequently the Sun
inferior

all

answereth

:

rarer than

is

The

creatures.

—Thou

creature.

Turba

hast excellently de-

scribed what thou hast related.

And

good Master, thou shalt utter anywhereby our hearts may be
vivified, which now are mortified by
thou wilt confer upon us a
folly,
if,

thing

great boon
*

offers

!*

The shortened

version ol

some conspicuous

the second

variations,

and

is

Recension
literally

as

B

The Turba Philosophorum.

i8

The Eighth Dictum.

Pythagoras

saith

existed before

all

:

—

I

and with

things,

was nothing, as He was
know,

ye

all

at

I

concerning

opinion

But

first.

Philosophers,

declare this in order that

your

God
Him

affirm that

that

may

these

elements and arcana, as well as

I

fortify

four

in

the

sciences thereof, at which no one can

God. Understand, that when God was alone, He
created four things fire, air, water, and
earth, out of which things He afterwards
by the

arrive save

will of

—

follows

:

— " Two natures alone are described by Lucas, one

of which

reason

;

heaven.
felt,

is

known

neither

the other

But there

seen,

whatsoever

is

this

five senses,

same as the

as follows

:

not described, for

is

it is

a third connected nature, which

Now, reason

&c.

text,

.

till

What

.

.

is

which contains

that

is

heaven or earth.

in

substantially the
is

is

and known, and

by the help of the
which

nor realised, save by piety and

not seen and

is

perceives

ensues

is

towards the close,

—As to that nature which

is

perceived

known by
reason and piety only, and is God Most High, who made
Know that the Sun is more
the light which is the Sun.
by none of these, the same

subtle than

all

is

creatures, to the

sublime;

end that

it

it

is

may

light the

world, which consists of two dense things and two rare.

Nothing

He

of the dense

himself

creatures."

is

more

is

in

the sublime creation, because

rare than the

Sun and

all

inferior

The Turba Philosophorum,

created

all

and the

inferior,

both the sublime

others,

He

because

predes-

beginning that

from the

tinated

19

all

creatures extracted from water should

multiply and increase, that they might

perform His

dwell in the world and

judgments

therein.

before

He

all.

Consequently,

created

out of which

ments,

He

created what

the four ele-

He

afterwards

willed, that is to say,

some

diverse creatures,

of which were

The

produced from a single element.*

Turba

— Which are
And he: They

saith

—

Master?

whom He

angels,

But

Turba

the

— Which,

the elements of
* In the

Book

the four elements

of Balances^

:—"
.

.

.

He

and

humidity

;

:

which

God

of

air are the

God had

created

all

things of

namely, heat, cold, moisture, and

and moisture

earth,

— Out

are

one of the genuine Arabian

of these elements produced

which contains heat and dryness

these elements

then,
:

caused the four qualities to issue

The combination

sesses cold

he

fire.

passage which has some analogy

After

from the ancient worlds
dryness.
fire,

fire

of Geber, there is a

with this dictum

And

?

O
the

are

created out of

:

created out of two

works

these,

:

is

;

air,

;

water, which pos-

which has ,warmth and

cold and dry.

By

the help of

created the superior and inferior worlds."

The Tttrba Philosophorum.

20

composed.
Hence the angels are more lucid than
the sun, moon, and stars, because they
are created from one substance, which
is

and

moon,

sun,

less

stars

dense than two, while the sun

and the stars are created from a comThe Turba
position of fire and air.
saitk
And what concerning the
Then he
creation of Heaven ?
God

—

:

:

Heaven out

created the
air,

whence

—

and
also composed of

this is

of water

two, namely, the second of the rarer
things, which

is

air,

of the denser things,

And

they

:

— Master,

and the second
which is water.

continue thy dis-

course concerning these three, and re-

our

joice

which are

life

other answer eth

God

thy

sayings,

to the dead.

But the
you that

with

hearts

:

—

hath further

of three and

notify to

I

made

out of four

creatures out
;

out of three

are created flying things, beasts, and

some of these are created
water, air, and earth, some out
air, and earth.
But the Turba

vegetables

out of
of

fire,

saith

:

;

— Distinguish

these divers crea-

—
The Turba Philosophorum.

tures one

from another.

;

flying things out of fire,

air,

among

spirit,

flying things,

vegetables

and

are created out of water, while

Yet

fire.

no

Whereat the Turba
and air.
Let us assume that a fire, with

water,
saith

air,

in vegetables there is

they are created out of earth,

fire, for

:

and

which have a

brute animals are from earth,

all

:

and

and water, because
all

he

fire, air,

Beasts are created out of
earth

And

21

—

your reverence's pardon, does reside in
vegetables. And he
Ye have spoken
the truth, and I affirm that they con:

tain

And

fire.

He

fire ?

they

:

answereth

:

of the air which
for

I

have

is

—Whence
— Out of the

is

that

heat

concealed therein

;

signified that a thin fire is

present in the
fire

is

—

air,

but the elementary

concerning which you were in doubt

not produced, except in things which

have spirit and soul. But out of four
elements our father Adam and his sons
were
*

that

created,'^

The

Olympiodorus

treatise of

observes that

is,

Adam was

of
On

fire,

air,

the Sacred

Art

the issue of the four elements, and

The Turba Philosophorum,

22

and

water,
stand,

all

likewise

ye that are wise, how every-

God

thing which

hath created out of

one essence dies not

The

Judgment.
is

Under-

earth.

Day

until the

of

death

definition of

the disjunction of the composite, but

no disjunction of that which is
Death consists
simple, for it is one.
in the separation of the soul from the
there

is

body, because anything formed out of
two, three, or four components must
disintegrate,

stand,

and

further,

Undercomplex

this is death.

no

that

substance which lacks

fire eats,

or sleeps, because in

all

have a

spirit fire is

drinks,

things which

that which eats.*

terms him virgin earth, igneous earth, carnal earth, and

sanguineous earth, making reference to the
Ptolemy.

whom

he

There are similar references
is

identified with death.

libraries

of

Zosimus, by

in

But the carnal

Adam

of Zosimus signifies material humanity in general, and
therein

is

contained the spiritual man, whose

name no one

knoweth except Nicotheos, and that mysterious personager
the alchemist himself acknowledges to be undiscoverable.

The

substitute for his true
•

The nature

name

signifies light

and

fire.

of the angels, and the question whether

they eat and sleep, does not seem to have been discussed
either

by Greek, Syriac, or Arabian alchemists.

narrates that the art ot alchemy

was revealed

Zosimus

to mortals

by

The Turba Philosophorum,

Turba

The

answer eth

:

23

— How

is

it,

Master, that the angels, being created
of

do not

fire,

that

fire is

thou assertest

eat, seeing

that which eats

And

!

he

:

Hence ye doubt, each having his
opinion, and ye are become opponents,
but if ye truly knew the elements, ye
would not deny these things.
with all whose judgment it
simple

The

eats

fire

not,

agree

is

that

but thick

fire.

angels, therefore, are not created

out of thick

fire,

but out of the thinnest

of very thin fire;
of

1

that which

exceedingly

being created, then,

is

most
they

thin,

And

drink, nor sleep.

simple

and

neither

eat,

the

Turba

:

—

Master, our faculties are able to perceive, for

by God's assistance we have

the fallen angels;

it

is

to

them

that the tradition of

the art must be referred as to a primary source

they also

who wrote

;

and

it

was

the primeval books of alchemy. It will

be remembered that magic was also one of the mysteries
unfolded by the same intelligences.
Isis

to

In the discourse of

Horus, the Mother of the Gods appears as a

prophetess

who

obtained initiation into the mysteries of

alchemy from the great angel Amnael, who desired to
possess her.

The Turba Philosophorum.

2^

exhausted thy sayings, but our faculties
of hearing and of sight are unable to

May God

carry such great things.

reward thee
since

ciples,

the sake of thy dis-

for

with the object of

is

it

instructing future generations that thou

summoned us

hast

thou wilt not

fail

Judge to come
Seeing

which
to receive from the

recompense

the

countries,

together from our

Arisleus

!

thou

that

of

hast

saith

:

—
us

gathered

together for the advantage of posterity,
1

think that no explanations will be

more

useful than definitions of those

four elements which thou hast taught

And

us to attain.
are,

I

he

:

— None

suppose, ignorant that

Wise have propounded
God.

The

Turba

of you
all

the

definitions in

answereth

:

— Should

your disciples pass over anything,

becomes

O

you,

Master,

to

it

avoid

omissions for the sake of future generations.
will

And

he:

—

If

it

please you,

I

begin the disposition here, since

envious

men

in

their

books

separated that, or otherwise

I

will

have
put

I

The Turba Pkilosophorum.
it

at the

Turba
think

end of the book.*
saith

it

it

— Place
be

will

generations.

where

:

will

he:

—

I

the

you

future

for

place

will

it

not be recognised by the

foolish,! nor ignored

Doctrine, for

Whereat

where

it

clearest

And

25

it is

by the Sons of the

the key, the perfection

and the end.
The Ninth Dictum,

ExiMENUS

saith

:

— God hath created

all

things by his word, having said unto

them

:

Be, and they were made, with the

four other elements, earth, water, air,

and

fire,

things

we

which

The

coagulated,

is

hostile to water, water

necessity of concealing the Art

chief anxieties of the Greek alchemists.

sworn

and

contrary were commingled, for

see that fire
•

He

to secrecy

by heaven and earth and

is

one of the
herself

Isis
hell,

is

by the four

elements, by the height and the depth, by Hermes, by

Anubis, and by the bowlings of Kerkoros.

heen required
initiated]

of us to reveal

person,"

says

'•

An

oath has

nothing clearly to any [un-

Democritus

in

the

Epistle of

Synesius to Dioscorus,
t

The

reader will not

fail

to observe the artless

way

in

-which this passage betrays the whole dialogue as a literary

composition.

The Turba Philosophorum.

26

and both are hostile to
earth and air. Yet God hath united
them peacefully, so that they love one
hostile to

another.

fire,

Out

of these four elements,

therefore, are all things created

— heaven

and the throne thereof; the angels; the
sun, moon, and stars; earth and sea,
with all things that are in the sea, which
indeed are various, and not alike, for
their natures have been made diverse by
God, and also the creations. But the
diversity is more than I have stated
;

each of these natures
ture,

is

of diverse na-

and by a legion of diversities

nature of each diverse.

Now

is

the

this di-

versity subsists in all creatures, because

they were created out of diverse

ments.

Had

ele-

they been created out of

one element, they would have
agreeing natures.

been

But diverse elements

being here mingled, they lose their
natures, because the dry being

own

mixed

with the humid and the cold combined
with the hot, become neither cold nor
hot;

so also the

humid being mixed

with the dry becomes neither dry nor

The Turba Philosophorum.

humid.

But when the

27

four elements

are commingled, they agree,

and thence

proceed creatures which never attain to
perfection, except they be left

to putrefy

God

and become

by night

visibly corrupt.

further completed his creation by

means of increase, food, life, and government. Sons of the Doctrine, not without purpose have I described to you the
disposition of these four elements, for in

them

two of them
are perceptible to the sense of touch and
vision, and of these the operation and
virtue are well known.
These are earth
and water. But there are two other
elements which are neither visible nor
is

a secret arcanum

;

tangible, which yield naught, whereof the

never seen, nor are their opera-

place

is

tions

and

force

known, save

in the

former

elements, namely, earth and water

when

the

four

;

now

elements are not com-

men

accom-

mingled,

no desire of

plished.

But being mixed, departing

is

from their own natures, they become
another
meditate

thing.

very

Over

these Jet

carefully.

And

us
the

The Turba Philosophorum,

28

you speak, we
Then
will give heed to your words.
I have now discoursed, and that
he:
well.
I will speak only useful words

TuRBA :— Master,

if

—

which

ye

Know,

made

is

Do

copper.*

spoken.

as

no

true

from

our

that

present,

all

tincture

follow

will

except

not therefore, exhaust

your brains and your money,

lest

ye fill

I will give
your hearts with sorrow.
you a fundamental axiom, that unless

you turn the aforesaid coppert into

*

At

appears to be a sudden transition

this point there

from cosmology to alchemy, but
that

it is

work

cesses ot the great
this not

Greek.

only

in the

of the world,

in the

language of cosmology, and

Latin mediceval writers, but also in the

The

Egg

and hence

affirms that the

thorities, the
spirit, soul,

that the term

all

is

alchemy.

Book of Crates says
and body.
is

egg

composed of the

is

philosophical copper

reference throughout

a

must be remembered

For example, the Byzantine fragment entitled The

Nomenclature of the

t

it

one of the Hermetic Methods to describe the pro-

It

is

a subject of continual

Among

the earliest au-

that copper, like

symbolical, and applies to a stage of the

Another passage describes

essential substance.

Gold

lead and copper.
is

man, has

appears from the same treatise

alchemical process.

white copper

the image

four elements.

is

The Lexicon of Chrysopeia

crude sulphur.

it

as the

said to transform only with

explains that

The Turba Philosophorutn,
white,

and make

visible coins"

afterwards again turn

a

until

Tincturei

it

the copper, break

and then

into redness, +

results,

therefore

up, deprive

it

ye

verily,

Burn

accomplish nothing.

29

of

it

blackness by cooking, imbuing, and

its

washing, until the same becomes white.

Then

•

M.

rule

it.

Berthelot has pointed out that

term nummus by the Latin alchemists
of the

meaning of

A sent,

an alloy of gold and

t
will

as, for

The

reference

is

to

silver.

Numerous preparations

be found

in the

anterior writers.

the use of the

a misconception

is

for

in the Collection of

whitening and reddening

Ancient Greek Alchemists,

example, the Combination of the White Preparation

Address of Isis

to

Horus, the recipe in the twenty-

paragraph of the Natural Questions of Democritus,

first

again in the Book of Sytiesius, the Philosopher, addressed to
Dioscorus, and elsewhere in

an

operation

with

many places.
The book

copper.

It is

invariably

addressed

by

Democritus to Leucippus says that the alchemical work
comprises the process of making white and making yellow
(red), as also the softening

copper.
is

and coction of the mineral of

According to Synesius, the process of whitening

a calcination, and

making yellow

is

an igneous regenera-

tion.

%

The Greek Lexicon of Chrysopeia

distinguishes

two

species of tincture, that which so permeates and scaks into

a substance as to change

its

duces a superficial colouring.

nature,

and that which pro-

The Turba Philosophorum.

30

The Tenth Dictum.

Arisleus
this work

saith:

— Know that the key of

the art of Coins.*

is

Take,

body which I have shewn
you and reduce it to thin tablets.
Next immerse the said tablets in the
Water of our Sea,+ which is permanent

therefore, the

to

Water,! and, after
over a gentle

fire

it is

covered, § set

it

until the tablets are

melted and become waters or Etheliae,

*

In this instance the term appears to be used as the

lamina— the

equivalent ot tablets or
later
is

alchemy frequently

thin strips into

which

directs a metal to be cut before

it

subjected to a given treatment.

by Olympiodorus

t Pelagus, cited

the Sacred Art, quotes

Zosimus

in the Treatise

on

in definition of the sea as

the hermaphrodytic element.
\

water

The Book
is

of El-Habib says that the virtue of eternal

that of a spiritual blood.

asriiorm water, azure water,

When

also primal sulphur.

It

is

identified with

and water of sulphur.
boiled,

it

and afterwards into gold.

(arsenic) into silver,

It is

transforms the male
It is

also

said that copper is water of silver, which, after preparation,

becomes

eternal

Rulandus says that
perfect bodies,

water.
it is

Interpreting

later

writers,

the philosophical solution of

two

and he enumerates the contradictory names

which have been assigned
§ The reference
mouth of the vessel.

is

to

it

in

alchemy.

apparently to the closing of the

The Turba Philosophorum,

31

and the same thing.
Mix, cook, and simmer in a gentle fire

which are one
until

Brodium

produced,

is

Saginatum.

Then

Ethelise until

it

stir

in its

like

to

water of

be coagulated, and the

become variegated, which we call
Cook it, therefore,
Salt.
until it be deprived of blackness, and
the whiteness appear. Then rub it, mix
with the Gum of Gold, and cook until
Use patience
it becomes red Etheliae.
in pounding lest you become weary.
Imbue the Ethelia with its own water,
coins

the Flower of

which has preceded from it, which also
is Permanent Water, until the same

becomes

red.

Copper,* which

Burnt
the Leaven of Gold

This,
is

then,

is

Cook the
and the Flower thereof.
Permanent
Water,
which is
with
same
*

is

A short excursus On

the Diversity of

Burnt Copper

among the writings of Zosimus, where it is
many persons prepare it by means of sulphur,

preserved

noted that

and a process with sulphurated iron is quoted with high
Burnt copper is elsewhere

approbation from Democritus.
defined by the

same author as " the metal rendered bloodwhitening) and tinged within and

colour (in view of

without."

The Turba Philosophorum.

32

always with

it,

until the

water be dried

Continue the operation

up.

the water

is

consumed, and

it

until

all

becomes

a most subtle powder.
The Eleventh Dictum.

Parmenides
that

saith

:

—Ye

must

men have

envious

dealt

know
volu-

minously with several waters, brodiums,
stones,
all

and metals, seeking to deceive

you who aspire

Leave, therefore,

all

after

knowledge.

these,

and make

the white red, out of this our copper,

taking copper and lead, letting these

stand for the grease, or blackness, and
tin

for

the

liquefaction.

Know

ye,

further, that unless ye rule the Nature

of Truth, and harmonize well together
its

complexions and compositions, the

consanguineous
neous, and the

with
first

the

consangui-

with the

first,

ye

and effect nothing,
because natures will meet their natures,
follow them, and rejoice.
For in them
and
are
generated,
because
they putrefy
Nature is ruled by Nature, which
act

improperly

The Turba Philosopliorum,

destroys

it,

turns

it

33

into dust, reduces

and finally herself renews
repeats, and frequently produces the

to nothing,
it,

same.

ye

Therefore look in books, that

may know

the Nature of Truth,

and what renews, what
it possesses, what neighbours it
naturally has, and how they love each
other, how also after love enmity and corruption intervene, and how these natures
should be united one to another and
made at peace, until they become

what

putrefies

it

savour

gentle in the

fire

in

similar fashion.

Having, therefore, noticed the facts in
this Art, set
If indeed,

your hands to the work.

ye know not the Natures of

Truth, do not approach the work, since
there will
disaster,
fore,

follow

nothing but harm,

and sadness.

Consider, there-

the teaching of the Wise,

how they

have declared the whole work

—

in this

Nature,

Nature rejoices in
and Nature contains Nature. In these
words there is shewn forth unto you the
whole work. Leave, therefore, manifold
and superfluous things, and take
saying:

D

The Turba Philosophorum.

34

body of
Magnesia,t in Kuhul, or in Sulphur
make the same
which does not burn
nature white, and place it upon our
Copper, when it becomes white. And
if ye cook still more, it becomes red,
when if ye proceed to coction, it becomes
I tell you that it turns the sea
gold.
itself into red and the colour of gold.

quicksilver,* coagulate in the

;

Know

ye also that gold

into redness save

is

by Permanent Water,

because Nature rejoices

Nature. +

in

Mercury, according to the Greek Epistle of Synesius,

•
is

not turned

wax, which readily assumes any colour that

like

imparted to
their souls

;

it,

it

for

Mercury whitens

them by

digests

is

bodies and attracts

all

and takes complete

coction,

possession of them.

The Magnesia of Alchemy

t

and

who

this

not

is

common

Magnesia,

remark applies equally to the Greek Alchemists,

are the inspiration of the Turba Philosophorum^ to

that treatise,

and

the later adepts.

to

treatises belonging to the school of

Cinnabar follows the term.

mentioned

in the discourse of

In one of the

Democritus the sign ot

The body

of

Magnesia

is

Synesius and Dioscorus; and

on the Metallic Body of Magnesia, Zosimus has a special
treatise with reference to the method by which it is
whitened.

According to Synesius

it

signifies the

mixture

of substances.
\

The

formulae which are so frequently repeated in the

Turba Philosophorum

:

Nature rejoices

in

Nature

:

Nature

The Turba Philosophorutn.

35

Reduce, therefore, the same by means
cooking into a humour, until the

of

hidden nature appear.
it

therefore,

If,

be manifested externally, seven times

imbue the same with water, cooking,
imbuing, and washing, until it become

O

red.

those

natures,

celestial

multiplying the natures of truth by the

God

will of

O

!

that potent Nature,

which overcame and conquered natures,

and caused

its

be

This, therefore,

glad

special

!*

and

God

the

natures to rejoice and
that

is

spiritual nature to

which

thereof can give what

fire

cannot.

Consequently, we glorify and

magnify

that

nothing

is

tincture,

[species]

,

more precious
or the

like

degree to be found.
overcomes nature
ruled by Nature:

:

than

the true

in

in the

This

is

which

smallest

that truth

Nature contains Nature

:

Nature

are derived literally from the

is

Greek

Alchemists.
*

These alchemical Grand Antiphons

literally

in

O

on the model of precisely similar exclamations
writers

:

are either

borrowed from the Greek alchemists, or are formed

— " O,

Supreme Wonder

Sovereign Matter," &c.

!

in those

O, most happy and

The Turba Philosophorum.

36

which those investigating wisdom

For when

it is

highest operation

knew the

love.

liquefied with bodies, the

truth,

is

effected.

ye

If

what great thanks ye

Learn, therefore, that
would give me
while you are tingeing the cinders, you
must destroy those that are mixed.
For it overcomes those which are mixed,
and changes them to its own colour. And
as it visibly overcame the surface, even
so it mastered the interior. And if
!

one be volatile but the other endure
the

endures
if

joined to the other

either

fire,

the

fire.

Know

have

vapours

the

that

also,

whitened

the

surfaces, they will certainly whiten the

Know

interiors.

after

Wisdom,

comes
consumes

four,

answereth
*

:

further, all

ye seekers

that one matter over-

and our Sulphur* alone
all

The

things.

Thou hast spoken excellently

Sulphur, Mercury, and Salt figure in

all

Hermetic

ature as the most indispensable principles of the
Optis.

The

Turha

later writers

are not the substances

liter-

Magnum

never weary of affirming that they

commonly

so called, but this does

not appear so plainly in earlier and especially in Greek
Authors.

The Turba Philosophorum.

O

well,

Parmenides, but thou hast not

demonstrated

smoke
is

37

the disposition of the

to posterity, nor

whitened

how

the

same

!

The Twelfth Dictum.

Lucas

saith:

I

will

speak at this

time, following the steps of the ancients.

Know, therefore, all ye seekers after
Wisdom, that this treatise is not from
the beginning of the ruling !* Take
quicksilver, t

which

is

from the male,

and coagulate according to custom.
Observe that I am speakmg to you in
accordance

because

with custom,

it

has been already coagulated. Here,
therefore, is not the beginning of the
ruling, but
*

book

A further
is

I

prescribe this method,

insight into the artificial character of the

afforded at this point.

designed to be conveyed
other

is,

The meaning which is
common with many

that in

alchemical works, the instruction begins

in

the

middle of the process— for the more complete confusion
of the uninitiated.
t It

should

be noted

in

this

connection that the

attribution of the seven metals to the seven

found in the Turba.

Thus, quicksilver

as Mercury, nor gold as Sol, &c.

is

planets

is

not

never spoken of

The Turba Philosophorum.

38

namely, that you shall take the quickfrom the male, and shall either

silver

impose upon
copper, and it

iron,

will

governed

or

tin,

be whitened.*

White Magnesia

is

made

in the

same

way, and the male is converted with
But forasmuch as there is a
it.
certain

and

affinity

the

iron,

between the magnet
our

therefore

nature

Take, then, the vapour
commanded you

rejoices. +

which the Ancients

and cook the same with its
own body until tin is produced. Wash

to take,

away its blackness according
and cleanse and
fire until it
is

to custom,

roast at an equable

be whitened. But every body

whitened with governed quicksilver,

for Nature converts Nature. Take,therefore.

Magnesia, Water of Alum, Water

of Nitre,
of Iron
*

;

Water

of the Sea,

and Water

What-

whiten with smoke. +

The second

upon copper, that

recension
is,

reads

governed

'*
:

iron,

Ye

shall

and

it

impose
be

shall

whitened."
t

The

alternative reading

is

:

" Therefore Nature also

rejoices in Nature."
I

Hermes, as quoted by Olympiodorus, defines smoke
warm and the dry.

as intermediary between the

The Turba Philosophorunt,

ye

soever

desire

whitened with

smoke

with

and

whitens

faeces

until

it

all

the

therefore,

its

is

smoke, because

this

Mix,

things.

be whitened

to

white,

itself

is

39

said

be

it

and become excessivelyRoast this white copper till

coagulated
white.*
it

germinates

of

Magnesia when
the

suffer

shadow

whitened

coppert

of

Nature
Take, therefore,

because

does

escape,

to

spirits

the

since

itself,

not

or

the

to

appear,

contains

Nature.

ye Sons of the

all

Doctrine, the white sulphureous nature,

whiten with

salt

Flower of White
*

The

and dew, or with the
Salt,+ until

alternative reading

is

:

" until

it

it

become

shall

become a

white coin or tablet."
t

M.

The shadow

of copper

is

the flower of copper,

Berthelot explains, protoxide, verdegris.

The

t.«.,

epistle

of Democritus to Leucippus explains that a metal without

shadow
burning

is

a brilliant metal.

defines the

produces

Zosimus says that the act

called the destruction of the shadow.

is

shadow of copper

in silver.

as the black tinge which

Democritus also gives a recipe

of

Pelagus
it

for the

removal of the shadow from copper.
\

The second

recension in the edition of Mangetus

reads Sol throughout for Sal, but

it is

a printer's error.

The Turba Phtlosophorutn,

40

And know

excessively white.

the Flower of

from

White

Salt

ye, that

Ethel

is

The same must be

Ethelia.

boiled

for

seven

till

it

shall

become

like

gleaming marble,

for

when

it

days,

has reached this condition

it

is

a

Arcanum, seeing that
Sulphur is mixed with
Sulphur,
whence an excellent work is accomof the affinity
plished, by reason
very

great

between them, because natures rejoice
in

meeting their own natures.

therefore,

Take,

Mardek and whiten the same

Gadenbe,* that is, wine and
and Permanent Water. Roast

with

vinegar,

and coagulate

until the

whole does not

liquefy in a fire stronger than its own,

namely, the former

mouth

be associated with

may

fire.

Cover the

of the vessel securely,
its

but

let it

neighbour, that

it

kindle the whiteness thereof, and

beware

lest

the

fire

blaze up, for in

Though Martinus Rulandus endeavoured honestly
Alchemy in his
laborious lexicon, and though he was evidently well
*

to explain all the barbarous terms of

acquainted with the Turba, he omits both Mardeck and

Gadenbe.

:

The Turba Philosophorum,

becomes red prematurely,
you nothing, because
beginning of the ruling you

this case

and
in

41

it

this will profit

the

Afterwards coagu-

require the white.
late the

same

Let your

fire

until

you attain the red.

be gentle

in the whitening,

Know

until coagulation take place*

that

when

is

it

the Soul, and

coagulated

it is

we

call

verted from nature into nature.
therefore,

sufficient

is

it

more quickly confor

those

This,

who

deal with the Art of Coins, because
one thing makes it but many operate

For ye need not a number of
things, but one thing only, which in
each and every grade of your work is
changed into another nature.
The
Turba saith Master, if you speak as
the Wise have
spoken, and that
briefly, they will follow you who do not
therein.

:

wish

to

be

wholly

shut

in

with

darkness.
The Thirteenth Dictum.

Pythagoras

saith

government which

—We
is

posit another

not from another

The Turba Philosophoruin,

42
root,

but

it

differs in

ye seekers after

all

name. And know,
this Science and

Wisdom,

that whatsoever the envious

may have

enjoined in their books con-

cerning

composition

the

which agree together,*
is

in

natures

of

savour there

only one, albeit to sight they are as

Know,

diverse as possible.

also, that

the thing which they have described in

many ways follows and attains its
companion without fire, even as the
magnet follows the iron, to which the
said thing is not vainly compared, nor
so

to a seed, nor to a matrix, for
like

And

unto these.

which follows!
fire,

its

many

causes

when embracing

it

is

also

same thing,
companion without
this

colours

it,

to

appear

for this reason, that

the said one thing enters into every

regimen, and

is

found everywhere, being

a stone, and also not a stone

and precious
•

mony
t

The

;

;

common

hidden and concealed,

shorter recension reads

:

" concerning the har-

of the elements."

According to the second recension, the subject

many

question causes

according as

it

is

in

colours to appear in complexion,

governed

in

every regimen.

The Turba Philosophorum,

known by everyone

yet

and

43

name

of one

;

many names, which

of

Spume

of

Moon.

the

the

is

This

stone,

therefore, is not a stone, because

more

without

precious;

never operates anything;

we have
names on account
one, yet

its

Nature

it

name is
by many

its

called

it is

it

of the excellence of

nature.*

The

Turba

answereth

—O

Master!

!

mention some of those

wilt thou not
*

:

Zosimus explains that the uncommunicated mystery

which no one among the prophets has dared to divulge by
word, but has revealed only to the

initiates,

is

a process

upon the stone Alabastron by means of vinegar.

By

Lexicon of Ghrysopeia in the Byzantine Collection
earliest dictionary of

known
is

all later

to

the

— that

alchemy, which has remained un-

Hermetic lexicographers— Alabastron

defined to be the calx obtained from eggshells, saltpetre,

a variety of natron, and

common salt. The inquirer after
may take his choice among

the uncommunicated secret
these substances, and
is

it

does not follow that the Lexicon

a correct exponent of Zosimus.

However

this

may be, it

appears that the stone Alabastron, either before or after
the operation with vinegar,

stone which

known by

is

all,

is

the symbolical encephalous

not a stone, the

unknown thing which

the despised thing which

is

is

most precious,

The preparation
The perplexities of

the thing given and not given by God.
indicated

is

the Mythraic Mystery.

the Turba at this point are, therefore, a device of the Greek
alchemists,

and they were fond

of recurring to

it.

The Turba Philosophorum,

44

names

the guidance of

for

seekers

?

—

And

he:
It is called White Ethelia,
White Copper, and that which flies
from the fire and alone whitens copper.
Break up, therefore, the White Stone,
and afterwards coagulate it with milk.*
Then pound the calx in the mortar,

taking care

humidity does

that the

not escape from the vessel
late

it

in the vessel until

a cinder.

Cook

it

;

but coagu-

shall

also with

become

Spume

of

Luna and regulate. For ye shall find the
stone broken, and already imbued with
its

own

This, therefore,

water, t

which we

is

the

by all names,
which assimilates the work and drinks
it, and is the stone out of which also
Take, therefore,
all colours appear.
is from the
which
that same gum,+
stone

•

The second

that milk

alchemy

is

is,

recension adds " that
:

The

coagulated."
like so

of Greek origin.

call

much
It

is,

after the

manner

symbolical use of milk in

of the terminology of the Turba^

will

be found in the discourse of

Synesius.
t

The second

"

its

Ye
own

Gum of Scotia,"

most

recension has a preferable reading

shall find the stone formed,

which imbue with

:

water."
J

The second

recension says

:

"

The Turba Philosophorum.

45

scoriae, and mix with cinder of calx,
which you have ruled, and with the
faeces which you know, moistening
with permanent water. Then look and
see whether it has become a powder,
but if not, roast in a fire stronger than
the first fire, until it be pounded.
Then imbue with permanent water,

and the more the colours vary all
the more suffer them to be heated.
Know, moreover, that if you take white
quicksilver, or the Spume of Luna, and

do as ye are bidden, breaking up with
a gentle fire, the same is coagulated,
Out of this
and becomes a stone.
stone, therefore,

many

probably a
philosophical
is

when

colours will

much used

misprint

gum
in

for

is

broken up,

Scoria.

Rulandus

with Ferment, Mercury, &c.

alchemy, and

without explanatory context.
is

it

But

appear to you.

is

identifies

The term

found in Zosimus, but

The Turba Philosophorum

not very clear on the subject of the philosophical gum,

but

it is

as clear as the Greek Alchemists, for the Lexicon of

Chrysopeia defines

gum

as the yolk of the egg, speaking

philosophically and not literally

;

but the treatise on the

Nomenclature of the Egg says that the white of egg

among

is

gum,

other things, speaking also philosophically, and

without regard to the Lexicon.

The Turba Philosophorunt.

46

any ambiguity occur to you
in our discourse, do as ye are bidden,
ruling the same until a white and
coruscating stone shall be produced,
and so ye find your purpose.
herein,

if

The Fourteenth Dictum.

AcsuBOFEN*

saith

Master, thou hast

:

spoken without envy, even as became
thee,

same may God
Pythagoras s«//A.* May
deliver thee, Acsubofen,
Then he Ye must know,

and

for

reward thee

God

O

!

also

from envy

the

:

!

Assembly of the Wise, that sulphurs

are contained in sulphurs, and humidity
in humidity. +

The

envious,

The

Turba

O

answereih

have

Acsubofen,

uttered something like unto this

:

!

Tell

what is this humidity ?
And he : Humidity is a venom, and
when venom+ penetrates a body, it
therefore,

us,

*

In the second recension the

t

A

name

is

Assuberes.

Formula of the Greek Alchemists

:

Sulphurs are

mastered by Sulphurs, &c.
X

The

theriac

and poison of the stone are

subjects of discourse

Petrus

Bonus

seems with

all

and,

among

favourite

early Latin Alchemists, like

indeed,

the

sovereign

remedy

authors to have had a destructive as well as

The Tiirha Philosophorum,
tinges

it

no

in

47

with an invariable colour, and
permits the soul

wise

equal

Concerning

thereto.

envious have said

When

:

be

to

separated from the body, because

it is

the

this,

one

and
upon
they no
flies

the other pursues, then one seizes
the

and

other,

lons^er

because Nature has laid

flee,

hold of

its

afterwards

manner of

equal, after the

an enemy, and they destroy one
For this reason, out of the
another.
sulphureous mixed sulphur is produced
a most precious colour, which varies
from the

not, nor flees

when the
of the body

fire,

soul enters into the interior

and holds the body together and tinges
I will repeat my words in Tyrian
it.
Take the Animal which is
dye.*
A

a constructive aspect.

Syriac treatise, fixed

by M.

Berthelot as belonging to the tenth or eleventh century,

says that " the

resembles a poison

elixir

violence and subtlety,"

many

references

equivalent

is ios,

to

the

and

this

,

because of

its

and Arabian alchemy contains
venerium
is

ignis.

The Greek

recurring continually in

the

Byzantine Alchemical collection.
*

dye,

This process, worded in the language of the Tyrian

may be compared

tincture,

which occurs

with a similar recipe for the purple
at the

beginning of the Natural and

The Turba Philosophorum,

48

called Kenckel, since all

water

its

is

a

Tyrian colour, and rule the same with
a gentle fire, as is customary, until it
shall

become

be a

little

earth, in

colour.

which there

But

if

will

you wish

obtain the Tyrian tincture, take

to

the

humidity which that thing has ejected,

and place
vessel,

it

therewith gradually in a

adding that tincture whereof the

Then

colour was disagreeable to you.

cook with that same marine water* until

become dry. + Afterwards moisten
with that humour, dry gradually, and
cease not to imbue it, to cook, and to
dry, until it be imbued with all its
it

shall

humour.
days in

Then leave
its own vessel,

it

several

for

until

the most

precious Tyrian colour shall

come out

from
I

it

to the surface.

Observe how

describe the regimen to you

pare

it

•

Pre-

with the urine of boys, with

My$tic Questions of Democritus.

an important

!

In this, also, urine plays

part.

The use

of sea water

is

specified in

one

of

the

Democritic treatises.
t

The second recension reads

:

" until

it

shall

moistened, after which evaporate the moisture."

become

The Tnrba Philosophortim.

49

water of the sea, and with permanent
clean water, so that

may

it

and decoct with a gentle

fire,

be tinged,
until the

blackness altogether shall depart from
it,

and

be easily pounded.

it

Decoct,

own humour

until

it

clothe itself with a red colour.

But

if

therefore, in its

ye wish to bring

it

to the

Tyrian colour,

imbue the same with continual* water,
and mix, as ye know to be sufficient,
according to the rule of sight mix the
same with permanent water sufficiently, and decoct until rust absorb the
Then wash with the water of
water.
;

which

sea

the

thou hast prepared,

cook
and
until it imbibe its own moisture
that
a
I
tell
you
do this day by day.
colour will thence appear to you the

which

water of desiccated calx

is

;+

;

like of

which the Tyrians have never

And

made.
be a
the

still

gum

which ye
*

t

ye wish that

if

more

in the

shall

it

should

exalted colour, place

permanent water, with
dye it alternately, and

The second recension reads
The alternative reading is

:

:

" with water of snow."

water of

talc.

;

The Turba Philosophorum.

50

Then

afterwards desiccate in the sun.
restore to the aforesaid water

black Tyrian colour

know

is

and the

But

intensified.

that ye do not tinge the purple

colour except by cold.

water which

is

Take, therefore,

of the nature of cold,

and steep wool* therein

until

it

extract

the force of the tincture from the water.

Know

also that the Philosophers have

called the force which proceeds from

that water the Flower.
fore,

your intent

therein place

in

what

days and nights,

Seek, there-

the said water

is in

the vessel for

until

it

be clothed

with a most precious Tyrian colour.
The Fifteenth Dictum,

Frictes

saith

:

—O

Wisdom, know
this Art,

that the foundation of

is

one only.t

* The second recension
Moon for wool.

t

The one

ye seekers after

many

on account of which

have perished,

i.e.,

all

substitutes

There
Luna

for

is

Lana,

nature, the one matter, the one way, are all

conceptions of Greek Alchemy.

way which must be

followed

is

" The furnace
one, and one

is
is

one, the
also the

:

:

—

The Tuvha Philosophorum.

one thing which

subHme

more

and

natures,

51

stronger than

is

;

all

the

in

opinion of philosophers, whereas with
fools

it is

But

for

more common than anything.
us

it

is

Woe

reverence.

we

a thing which

unto

all

ye fools!

How ignorant are ye of this Art, for
which ye would die if ye knew it I swear
to you that if kings were familiar with it,
I

none of us would ever attain this thing.
O how this nature changeth body into
spirit!
O how admirable is Nature,
how she presides over all, and over-

comes

all

!

is

— Name
And he —

Pythagoras saith

this Nature,

O

Frictes

!

It

a very sharp vinegar,* which makes

work," says the Assembly of the Philosophers.
furnishes blood to the

Other.

Nature rejoices nature

nature triumphs over nature
this not for
for

"

The One

Other, and the One engenders the

;

;

nature charms nature

nature masters nature

one such nature opposed

;

and

to another such, but

one only and same nature, proceeding by chemical

process

from

itself

with pain and great labour."

The

Serpent Ourohohos.
*

The Greek Assembly

that the philosophical vinegar

the Stone.

It

of the Philosophers explains
is

obtained by the coction of

appears to be an

oil

which

rises

surface during the process, but the explanation

is

to

the

by no

The Turba Philosophorum.

52

gold into sheer

spirit,

without which

vinegar, neither whiteness, nor black-

nor redness, nor rust can

ness,

be

made. And know ye that when it is
mixed with the body, it is contained
therein, and becomes one therewith it
turns the same into a spirit, and tinges
with a spiritual and invariable tincture,
which is indelible.
Know, also, thaf
if ye place the body over the
fire
without vinegar, it will be burnt and
corrupted.
And know, further, that
;

the

first

humour

therefore, of the

cold.

is

Be

careful,

is

inimical

which

fire,

Accordingly, the

to cold.

Wise have

said
Rule gently until the sulphur
becomes incombustible.* The Wise
:

means

M.

clear.

Berthelot supposes a reference to the

Mercurial Water.
*

The Greek Alchemists

give the following recipe for

the production of incombustible sulphur

Sulphur, diluted in the urine of a person

puberty

;

Take unburnt

then taking an equal quantity ot brine, boil

till

becomes

in-

the sulphur rises to the surface, and then

Prove

combustible.
fire) until

:

who has not reached

it

ycu see that

it

by reasoning and examining

becomes incombustible, that
it

it

no longer burns.

bustible water (of sulphur), pour

is

to

(?

with

say, until

Take the same incomon flower of

salt, dilute

as

The Turba Philosophorum.

men have

53

who

already shewn to those

possess reason the disposition of this Art,

and the best point of
they mentioned,

is,

their Art,

which

that a Httle of this

sulphur burns a strong body.

Accordand name it in
the beginning of their book, and the

ingly they venerate

son of
this

Adam

vinegar

it

thus described

burns

For

it.

body,

the

con-

and also whitens
the body, which, if ye cook well and
deprive of blackness, is changed into a
stone, so that it becomes a coin of
most intense whiteness. Cook, there-

verts

it

into a cinder,

fore, the

and

stone until

then

it

be disintegrated,

and temper with

dissolve

Know

water of the sea.

also, that the

beginning of the whole work
whitening,

to

redness, finally

work;

but

vinegar,
follows
I

which

is

succeeds

this,

and by the

will

by means of
of God, there

a complete perfection.

in the case of the

divine mystery.

the

the perfection of the

after

have shewn

the

to you,

O

Now,

disciples of

incombustible sulphur.

This

is

the

The Turba Philosophorum.

54
this

Turba, the disposition of the one

more perfect, more
precious, and more honourable, than
all natures, and I swear to you by God

thing,

that

I

which

is

have searched

books so that

for

a long time in

might arrive at the

I

knowledge of

this

prayed also to

God

one thing, while

I

that he would teach

me what it is. My prayer was heard. He
shewed me clean water, whereby I
and the more I did
read books, the more was I illuminated.

knew pure

vinegar,

The Sixteenth Dictum,

Socrates

saith:

those that

still

— Know,

O

crowd of

remain of the Sons of

the Doctrine, that no tincture can be

produced without Lead, which possesses

Have ye not seen
Hermes infused the

the required virtue.

how

thrice-great

was changed
colour ?*
Know,

red into the body, and
into an invariable

it

therefore, that the first virtue
•

The second

thrice-great

recension reads

:

"

Have ye

Hermes, that so often as

body, the same body

is

is

vinegar,

not seen, says

infused into the
changed into an invariable colour ? "
it is

,

The Turba Philosophorum

55

and the second is the Lead''' of which the
Wise have spoken, which if it be infused
into all bodies, renders all unchangeable, and tinges them with an invariable
colour.
Take, therefore. Lead which
is made out of the stone called Kuhul +
let it be of the best quality, and let it
be cooked till it becomes black. Then
pound the same with Water of Nitre
until it is thick like grease, and cook
;

again in a very bright
spissitude

*

of the

M. Berthelot

tells

until

fire

body

the

destroyed,

is

us that lead was regarded by the

Egyptian alchemists as the generator of the other metals

and the

first

matter of transmutation, which he explains

common

with a number

of other simple bodies and metallic alloys.

Zosimus, the

by the appearances

Panopolite,

says

:

may

it

possesses in

be cited

All substances

produced by lead alone,

the Substances
t

The

is

he

;

for
i.e.,

it

is

from lead that the three

copper, iron, and tin.— Zosimus

and Non-substances of Art.

significance

accurately Kohol,

confirmation of this point

were recognised by the Egyptians as

other bodies are derived,

On

in

is

of the

term

Kuhul,

to be found in S3^iac

or

more

alchemy

;

it

the equivalent of alcool and sulphurated antimony in the

form of an impalpable powder.

Kuhul, or Koheul,

is

explained by Rulandus to be the Lead of the Philosophers.

The Alcohol mentioned by M.
different

Berthelot seems to be

from Alcool of wine, and

Part of any

is,

in fact, the

body separated from that which

is

impure.

pure

The Turba Philosophorum.

56

water

the

being

rejected.

Kindle,

above it until the stone becomes clean, abounding in precious
Pound
metal, and exceedingly white.
therefore,

it

dew and the

afterwards with

and with sea and rain water
days with

for 10

sun,

for 21 days,

water, and

salt

10

days with fresh water,* when ye shall

same like to a metallic stone.
Cook the same once more with water
of nitre until it become tin by liquethe

find

Again cook

faction.

until

it

be deprived

But
of moisture, and become dry.
know that when it becomes dry it
drinks up what remains of its humour
swiftly, because it is burnt lead. Take
care, however, lest it be burnt. Thus we
*

The second

with dew,

water

for

days."

salt,

recension reads

and rain water

:

**

Atterwards pound

for 29 days, again

20 days, and yet again with fresh water

The

explanation of

all

Great Mystery.
of Democritus,
process

of

10

and

an important part

the

in the

In the Natural and Mysterious Question*

dew

is

whitening,

Fhilosophical

for

Rosicrucian mysteries has

been referred to the dew of the alchemists,
ros philosophorum certainly plays

it

with salt

Egg

it is

mentioned

and

in

in

the

tabulated as a

or philosophical albumen, but here

the additions of a later hand.

connection with a

fragment

name

on

the

of the white

M. Berthelot suspects

The Turba Philosophorum,

57

incombustible sulphur. Pound
same with the sharpest vinegar,
and cook till it becomes thick, taking

call it

the

care lest the vinegar be changed into

smoke and perish continue this coction
for 150 days.
Now, therefore, I have
;

demonstrated

the

disposition

of the

which afterwards follows
being no more than women's work and

white lead,

all

Know,

play.

child's

also,

that

the

arcanum of the work of gold proceeds out
of the male and the female, but I have
shewn you the male in the lead, while,
in like manner, I have discovered for
you the female in orpiment.*
Mix,
lead,

the

because she

But

female

the

for

receiving

orpiment

the

therefore,

in

assisted

is

by the male*

the male receives a tingeing spirit

M.

Mix them,

therefore,

Berthelot indentifies orpiment with the arsenic

of the ancients.

Greek

rejoices

the

strength of the male,

from the female.
•

with

The word

itself

does not occur in the

writers, but there is a fifteenth century translation

from Latin to Greek of the Semita Recta, ascribed to
Albertus Magnus,

which

it is

found.

who

reappears as Peter Theoctonicos, in

The Turba Philosophorum.

58

together, place in a glass vessel,

pound with Ethelia and
vinegar

cook

;

for

ver}^

and

sharp

seven days, taking

care lest the arcanum smoke away, and
leave throughout the night.

wish

it

that

it

to put

on

mud

if

ye

(colour), seeing

again imbue

already dry,

is

But

Now, therefore, I have
you the power of orpiment,
which is the woman by whom is accomplished the most great arcanum.
Do not shew these unto the evil, for
with vinegar.
notified to

they

will laugh.

vinegar which
tion,

work,

is

It is

placed in the prepara-

by which things

whereby

the Ethelia of

God

also

perfects the

spirits

take

possession of bodies, and they become
spiritual.

The Seventeenth Dictum,

ZiMON* saith : O Turba of Philosophers and disciples, now hast thou
spoken about making into white, but it
yet remains to treat concerning the

reddening

!

Know,

all

ye seekers after

^* Otherwise Zenon, according to the second recension.

;

The Turba Philosophonim.

make

cannot

unless ye whiten, ye

that

Art,

this

59

because the two

red,

natures are nothing other than red and

Whiten, therefore, the

white.

redden the white
the year

the

and

also, that

divided into four seasons

is

first

Know,

!*

red,

season

of a

is

frigid

com-

and this is Winter the second
is of the complexion of air, and this is
Spring then follows the third, which
is summer, and is of the complexion of
plexion,

;

;

fire

lastly, there is

;

fruits are

the fourth, wherein

matured, which

is

Autumn,

In this manner, therefore, ye are to rule

your natures, namely, to dissolve

in

winter, to cook in spring, to coagulate
in

summer, and to gather and tinge the
in autumn.
Having, therefore,

fruit

given

this

example, rule the tingeing

natures, but

if

save yourselves.

Thou
*

ye

err,

The

blame no one

Turba answereth

hast treated the matter extremely

A commentary

introduced into the text of Zosimus

on Virtue and Interpretation, observes

mence by making
perfect

:

and

solid.

:

If

thou dost com-

white, the yellowing will be perfect,

The Turha Philosophorum,

6o
well

add, therefore, another teaching

;

of this kind for the sake of posterity.

And

he

I

:

will

Take

red."^'

the

Master

at

the

speak of making lead
copper which
the

you

ordered

beginning

of

take

to

book,

his

combine lead therewith, and cook it
until it becomes thick
congeal also
and desiccate until it becomes red.
Here certainly is the Red Lead of
which the wise spake copper and lead
become a precious stone mix them
equally, let gold be roasted with them,
for this, if ye rule well, becomes a
tingeing spirit in spirits. +
So when
the male and the female are conjoined
there is not produced a volatile wife,
;

;

;

From

but a spiritual composite.

composite turned into a red

produced the beginning
*

The

various

substances

spirit is

of the world.

which

alchemists

founded under the names of Minium, Rubric,

enumerated by M. Berthelot, including,
sur-oxyde of lead, which
not only

oxydes of

vermillion,

is

the

the

etc.,

conare

in addition to the

modern name

cinnabar, realgar,

of

etc.,

minium,

but some

iron.

t The second recension
spirit among spirits."

reads

••
:

becomes a mighty

The Turba Philosophorum.

Behold
called

this

is

we have

the lead which

Red Lead, which

is

6i

of our work,

and without which nothing

is

effected

!

The Eighteenth Dictum,

MuNDUS

saith

seekers after this

Turba The
Art must know that
the

to

:

the Philosophers in their books have

described

gum

in

many

ways, but

it is

none other than permanent water, out
of which our precious stone is generated.*
after this

who

find

O how many

are the seekers

gum, and how few there are
it

!

Know

gum

that this

is

not ameliorated except by gold alone.

For there be very many who investigate
these applications, and they find certain

things,

the

labours

•

It

yet

they cannot sustain

because they are dimi-

appears from Zosimus on The Detailed Exposition

of the Work, that with the addition of a little [philosoAnd
phical] gum any species of body may be tinged.

when Mundus
in

identifies

Gum

with Permanent Water he

agreement with the same authority,

of the passage just cited

That which tinges

water, the great mystery.
in a

we

tinctures

find the following

and things tinged

The gum

is

for in the context

of gold

fragment attributed to Agathodemon.

is

is

words:
Divine

mentioned

The Turba Philosophorum.

62

But the applications which

nished.

are

made

gum and

out of the

out of

the honourable stone, which has already

held the

tincture,

the

they sustain

and are never diminished.
Understand, therefore, my words, for I
will explain unto you the applications
of this gum, and the arcanum existing
labours,

Know

therein.

ye that our

stronger than gold, and

know

it

do hold

all

gum

those

is

who

more honourable

it

than gold, yet gold we also honour, for
without it the gum cannot be improved.

Our gum, therefore, is for Philosophers
more precious and more sublime than
pearls,

because out of

gum

with a

little

we buy much.
when committing these
things to writing that the same might
Consequently, the

gold

Philosophers,

not perish, have not set forth in their

books the

manifest

disposition,

lest

every one should become acquainted

and having become familiar
to fools, the same would not sell it at
Take, therefore, one
a small price.
part of the most intense white gum
therewith,

;

The Turba Philosophorum.

63

one part of the urine of a white calf;

one part of the

gall of

a

fish

and one

;

part of the body of gum, without which
it

cannot be improved

tions

and cook

;

mix these por-

for forty days.

When

these things have been done, congeal

by the heat

the sun

of

Then cook

dried.

the

till

they are

same, mixed

with milk of ferment, until the milk
afterwards extract it, and until it
become dry evaporate the moisture by
heat.
Then mix it with milk of the
fig,
and cook it till that moisture
be dried up in the composite, which
afterwards mix with milk of the root of
grass, and again cook until it be dry.
fail

;

Then

moisten

it

with rainwater, then

sprinkle with water of dew,
until

it

be dried.

and cook

Also imbue with per-

manent water, and desiccate until it
become of the most intense dryness.
Having done these things, mix the same
with the
all

gum which

is

equipped with

manner of colours, and cook

until

perish

the whole
;

and the

force

entire

of

strongly

the water

body be deprived

.

The Turba Philosophorum

64
of

humidity, while ye imbue the

its

same by

cooking,

Then

thereof be kindled.
forty days.

Let

it

the dryness

until

remain

dismiss for

in that tritura-

tion or decocting until the spirit pene-

For by this regimen the
spirit is made corporeal, and the body
Observe the
is changed into a spirit.
trate the body.

vessel, therefore, lest the composition

and

fly

pass

off in

open the

things being accomplished,

and ye

vessel,

arcanum

will find

This,

purposed.

These

fumes.

that which ye

therefore,

is

the

of gum, which the Philosophers

have concealed

in their books.

The Nineteenth Dictum.

Dardaris
knowledge

saith

:

that the

It

common

is

Masters" before

us have described Permanent Water.

Now,

it

behoves one who

is

introduced

to this Art to attempt nothing
familiar with the
•

The

power of

this

he

is

Per-

reference to the Masters, which occurs twice in

this dictum, is to be understood

in the

till

not of previous speakers

Assembly, but of the older philosophers, namely,

the Greek Alchemists.

The Turba Philosophorum,

65

manent Water, and in commixture,
contrition, and the whole regimen, it
behoves

us

to

use

invariably

famous Permanent Water.
fore,

who

does

sable regimen,

may

understand

not

Permanent Water, and

its

is

effected with-

out the Permanent Water.
is

indispen-

not enter into this

Art, because nothing

thereof

this

He, there-

The

force

a spiritual blood, whence

the Philosophers have called

manent Water,

for,

Per-

it

having pounded

it

with the body, as the Masters before

me

have explained to you, by the

of

God

it

will

turns that body into spirit.*

For these, being mixed together
and reduced to one, transform each
the body incorporates the
other;
and the spirit incorporates
spirit,
the body into tinged spirit, like blood.
And know ye, that whatsoever hath
the
same hath blood also
spirit
Remember, therefore, this
as well.
arcanum
!

•

The second

recension adds:

"and

the

spirit into

body."

F

:

:

:

.

.

The Turha Philosophorum

66

The Twentieth Dictum,

Belus

saith

—O

disciples,

discoursed excellently

ye have

Pythagoras

!"

— Seeing that they are philosoBelus, why hast thou called
He answereth —
them disciples

answers

O

phers,

?

It is

:

honour of their Master,

lest I

should

make them equal with him.

Then

in

—Those who, in con-

Pythagoras saith

junction with us, have composed this

book which is called the Turha^ ought
not to be termed disciples. Then he
Master, they have frequently described
Permanent Water, and the making of
:

*

—

The whole of this Dictum recalls a passage in
On Virtue and Interpretation — It is for these

Zosimus,

reasons that

my excellent

master, Democritus, makes him-

self the following distinction

;

• Take that stone which

is

not a stone, that precious thing which has no value, that

polymorphous object which
thing which

is

known

and has no name,
is

I

same time
one.

it

has no

it is

money

Nevertheless,

this stone

;

its

nature

is

one,

its

do not say absolutely speaking, but according

it, I

nature, so that whether

flees the fire, or

uttered.

For

exceedingly precious, at the

value

given

is

which has many names

many denominations have been

to

its

without form, that unknown

refer to aphroselinon."

not a stone, and while

name

is

to everyone,

it is

called the being

which

white smoke, or white copper, no falsehood

;

The Tiirba Philosophorum.

67

White and the Red in many ways,
albeit under many names
but in the
modes after which they have conjoined
the

;

weights, compositions, and regimens,

they agree

with

Behold, what

is

hidden

the

truth.

said concerning this

A report has gone
abroad that the Hidden Glory of the
Philosophers is a stone and not a stone,

despised thing

and that
the

lest

it

is

to

called

foolish

Certain wise
after

!

by many names,

should recognise

men have

one fashion,

it.

designated

it

namely, according

the place where

it

is

generated

others have adopted another, founded

some of whom have
termed it the Green Stone ;* by other
some it is called the Stone of the most
intense Spirit of Brass, not to be mixed
upon

its

colour,

by yet others its description has been further varied, because
it is sold for coins by lapidaries who
are called saven ; some have named it
Spume of Luna \^ some have distinwith bodies

•

t

;

The second recension reads •' Green Lion."
Sputum Lunae does not seem to be a term which
:

found favour with Latin alchemy, and accordingly

it

is

——

:

The Turba Philosophorum,

68

guished

astronomically

it

metically;

thousand

it

arith-

has already received a

titles,

of which the best

which

**That

or

produced

is

is

out

:

of

metals." So also others have called it
the Heart of the Sun, and yet others
have declared it to be that which is

brought forth out of quicksilver with
the milk of volatile things.

The Twenty-first Dictum,

Pandolfus

much concerning

said so

wanting

in the

Rulandus,

— O Belus, thou hast

saith

who

Lexicons.

It

the despised

very curious to note that

is

quite frequently quotes the Turba, seems

seldom to have troubled himself about the significance of
its

bizarre terms.

tion, there is

which

falls

In Zosimus,

from the

moon when

referred to as describing
it
•'

On

where

will find

it

with

me and

is

it

it

has the quality of resisting the

you

Virtue and Interpreta-

a prescription from Hermes concerning " that

is

fire.

Turba

recalls

mythology of

of mercury.

But

In fact, says Hermes,

allegorise

Note

also

Bulandus,

the

Lapis Arabicus, Aphroselinum,

Moon,
Moon."

&c., supposed not only to reflect the likeness of the

but to be "

M.

upon the

the expression in the

the passage of Synesius.
Selenite,

is

and how

with Agathodaimon."

Berthelot supposes this passage to
volatilisation

waning," and he

to be found,

made from dew by

the foam of the

The Turba Philosophorum,

stone* that thou hast

left

added by thy brethren
I

teach

stone
all

is

69

nothing to be

Howsoever,

!

posterity that this despised

a permanent water, and know,

ye seekers after Wisdom, that per-

manent water
life,t

is

water

mundane

of

because, verily, Philosophersiaye

stated that Nature rejoices in Nature,

Nature contains Nature, and Nature
overcomes Nature. The Philosophers
have constituted this short dictum the
principle of the work for reasonable
And know ye that no body
persons.

more precious or purer than the Sun,
and that no tingeing venomt is gene-

is

*

The Turba Philosophorum does not betray any-

where the hand

of a Christian compiler,

and although the

reference to the despised stone suggests the stone

the builders

have

Zosimus, and not from the
as Zosimus himself

which

derived

from

New Testament, except in

so far

rejected,

idea

the

may have drawn

it

is

from that source.

Treating, in his dictum on the subject of calx, concerning

the uncommunicated mystery of the encephalous
the Greek adept calls
precious,

it

the despised thing which

and so on through a number

is

stone,

most

of contradicting

denominations.
t
X

The second recension reads
The symbolism of the venom

also found in

:

••

clean water."

of the philosophers is

Zosimus, commenting upon Democritus.

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

70

Sun and its shadow.
He, therefore, who attempts to make

rated without the

venom

the

of the Philosophers without

and has

these, already errs,

fallen into

that pit wherein his sadness remains.

But he who has tinged the venom of
the wise out of the Sun and its shadow*
has arrived at the highest Arcanum.
Know also that our coin when it
becomes red, is called gold he, therefore, who knows the hidden Cambart
of the Philosophers, to him is the
;

Arcanum

already revealed. The

answereth

—Thou hast

The Greek word signifies, says an
M. Berthelot, the rouille of metals, the
it is

the

spirit

body.— On Virtue and
*

A

intel-

annotation
specific

of bodies, and the venom of serpents.

Zosimus,

Turba

even now

of

virtue

According to

separated from the substance of a

Interpretation.

quotation from

Mary

(the

Measure of Yellowing runs thus:
with sulphur, treated with

first) in

Zosimus On

— Copper

the

when burned

natron, and recovered

oil ot

having undergone the same process several times,

after

becomes an excellent gold without shadow.
t

his

This oriental term

Essay on

explanation of

its

by M. Berthelot

referred to

significance,

of the Lexicons of
treatise, entitled

of an adept.

is

the Transmission of Ancient Science

Alchemy.

and

it is

in

without

not found in any

In an ancient alchemical

The Code of Truth,

it

figures as the

name

;

The Turba Philosophorum,

71

thou

ligibly described this stone, yet

hast not narrated

its

regimen nor

its

composition.

Return, therefore, to the

description.

He

saith

:

—

you

direct

I

and honourable arcanum, which is White Magnesia,* and
the same is mixed and pounded with
to take an occult

make

wine, but take care not to
of this except
finally place

it

be pure and clean

and pray God

in its vessel,

it

He may grant you the

that

very great stone. t

in

sight of this

Then cook gradually,

and, extracting, see
black stone,

use

if it

has become a

which case ye have

ruled excellently well.

But

rule

it

thus

which is a great arcanum,
becomes Kuhul, closed up with

for the white,

until

*

it

The Chemistry

for the

an equal quantity
Let

burnt clay.

Then,

of Moses gives the following process

whitening of Magnesia:

if it

of
it

to cook

this mystery, for

it

Cappadocian

salt,

Magnesia and

place in a vessel of

stay there from evening

be black,

is far better

—"Taking

let it
it

in

be cooked

till

it

till

morning.

whitens, but

it

Hide

a glass-maker's furnace.

comprises everything which concerns

whitening by decoction."
of

the

Philosopher's Stone as a medicine of metals and of

men

t It

was

does not appear that

familiar to

Greek alchemy.

the

conception

The Turha Philosophorum,

72

blackness, which blackness see that

it

does not remain longer than forty days.

Pound the same,

therefore, with its

confections, which are the said flower

whose root
one, and a certain extract of an

of copper, gold of the Indies
is

unguent, that

is,

a crocus, that

of

fixed exalted alum, or

;*

t^

is,

cook the four,

therefore, permanently for 40 or 42 days.

God

After these days

will

show you the

principle (or beginning) of this stone,

which

the stone Atitos,

is

favoured sight of

Cook

which

many

there are

strongly,

and imbue

gum that remains.

And know

accounts.

with the

God

of

ye that so often as ye imbue the cinder,
so often

must

it

be desiccated

again humectated, until

its

colour turns

Now, there-

into that which ye desire.
fore, will I

•

The

complete that which

authenticity of this sign

and the marginal note which
editions does not help

it

out.

is

of the

sentence

immediately

recension confirms this view.

is

I

have

extremely doubtful,

appended

It is

reading of the word Hoc^ which

is

and

to

most printed

no doubt

really a mis-

required to

following.

make sense
The second

The Turba Philosophorum,

begun,

if

Know

God

also

to

rule

will look kindly

that

work of

the

third part

the

the

on us.*

perfection

precious

this

with

it

y^

stone

residue

of

of
is

the

the medicine, and to

of

preserve the two other parts for im-

buing and cooking alternately
required colour appears.!

more

be

it

Let the

than the

intense

is

desiccated

when

wax

therefore, the

Cook,

coheres.

it

until

fire

former;

the matter be cerated, and

let

the

till

imbibes

it

the gluten of gold, which being desiccated,

imbue the

seven

times

until

the

work

other

two-

of

rest

the

and true earth imFinally, place the same

thirds be finished,

bibe them

all.

on a hot fire until the earth extract its
flower and be satisfactory.
Blessed
are ye if ye understand
But, if not,
!

I will

*

repeat to you the perfection of

The

original

emendation given

is

untranslatable

in the text

;

the

conjectural

has no authority, and

is

only

introduced to provide a meaning.
t

The

substituted,

reading of the

owing

second

recension

has

been

to the corrupt state of the longer text.

The Turba Philosophorum,

74

Take the

the work.
is

clean white, which

a most great arcanum, wherein

true tincture;

which sand

is

is

the

imbue sand therewith,

made

out of the stone

seven times imbued, until

it

drink up

the whole, and close the mouth of the

you have often been
For that which ye seek of it by
the favour of God, will appear to you,

vessel effectually, as
told.

which

is

Now,

therefore,

truth, so

the stone of Tyrian colour.

do

I

have

I

fulfilled

conjure you by

the

God and

your sure Master, that you show not
this great

wicked

arcanum, and beware of the

!

The Twenty 'Second Dictum,

Theophilus

saith:

intelligently

and

Thou

hast spoken

elegantly,

held free from envy.

Saith the

and

art

Turba

:

Let your discretion, therefore, explain
to us what the instructing Pandolfus
has stated, and be not envious. Then
he

:

O

all

ye seekers after

this science,

the arcanum of gold and the art of the
coin is a dark vestment, and no one

The Turba Philosophorum.

knows what the
narrated

in

75

have

Philosophers

books

their

without

and
For that
which they have concealed is more
sublime and obscure than it is possible
to make known in words, and albeit
some have dealt with it intelligibly
and well, certain others have treated
it obscurely
thus some are more lucid
frequent

reading,

experiments,

questionings of the Wise.

;

The

than others.

Thou

Turba

answereth

And

hast truly spoken.

he

:

:

I

announce to posterity that between
boritis and copper there is an affinity,
because the boritis of the Wise liquefies
the copper, and it changes as a fluxible
water.

Divide, therefore, the

venom

two equal parts, with one of which

into

liquefy

the copper, but preserve the

other to pound and imbue the same,
until

again

it is

drawn out

with

to seven in its
*

:

—

'«

cook
the

to seven in

This unintelligible passage

recension

;

of

two; cook
own water for 42 days ;*

venom, cook two

first

into plates

the former part

is

better rendered in the

Cook with the former

part of the

venom

76

The Turba Philosophorum,

finally,

open the

and ye

vessel,

find copper turned

shall

quicksilver;

into

wash the same by cooking until it be
deprived of its blackness, and become
as copper without a shadow.

cook

continuously until

it

For when

gealed.

be con-

congealed

is

it

it

Lastly,

becomes a very great arcanum.

it

Ac-

cordingly, the Philosophers have called
this stone Boritis;* cook, therefore, that

becomes a matter like mucra. Then imbue it with the
Permanent water which I directed you
coagulated stone until

to reserve, that

many

it

colours manifest.

its
^s

to say, with the other

is

and cook

portion,

it

times until

This, therefore,

the very great putrefaction which

extracts (or contains in

arcanum.

great
until

it

shall

itselt)

Saith

the

have absorbed both, and do

But donee duas

the very

Turba:

this seven times."

ebibat does not agree with the subsequent

directions found in each version.
• Boritis,

according to Rulandus,

after the black state,

and

it

is

the White Stone

reduces earth to water.

A

late

French Lexicon observes that the name was applied by
Philosophers to their Mercury

extreme black stage.
whitened.

The word

is

It is

when

it

had reached the

the Laton which must be

of Oriental origin.

The Turba Philosophorum,

Return to thine exposition,

yy

O

Theo-

And

he: It is to be known
same affinity which exists
between the magnet and iron, also
exists assuredly between copper and

philus!

that the

permanent water.
If, therefore, ye
copper and permanent water as I
have directed, there will thence result
the very great arcanum in the following
fashion.
Take white Magnesia and
quicksilver,* mix with the male, and
pound strongly by cooking, not with
the hands, until the water become thin.
But dividing this water into two parts,
in the one part of the water cook it
rule

for eleven, otherwise, forty days, until

there be a white flower, as the flower of
salt in its

splendour and coruscation

but strongly close the mouth
vessel,

ye

and cook

will find

it

of

for forty days,

:

the

when

water whiter than milk

;

by cooking
continue the cooking until its whole
nature be disintegrated, until the dedeprive

*

The

it

of all blackness

second

recension reads

mixed with the male."

:

— " Take

;

quicksilver

The Turba Philosophorum,

78

filement

perish,

until

it

be

found

clean, and is wholly broken up (or
becomes wholly clean). But if ye wish
that the whole arcanum, which I have
given you, be accomplished, wash
the same with water, that is to say,
the other part which I counselled

you

to

preserve,

until

a crocus, and leave in

there appear

its

own

vessel.

For the Iksir pounds (or contains)
itself; imbue also with the residue of
the water, until by decoction and by
water it be pounded and become like
a syrup of pomegranates; imbue it,
therefore, and cook, until the weight
of the humidity shall fail, and the
colour

which

the Philosophers have

magnified shall truly appear.
The Twenty-third Dictum,

Cerus*

saith

:

Understand,

all

ye Sons

of the Doctrine, that which Theophilus

hath told you, namely, that there exists

an

affinity
*

between the magnet and the

The name

Bellus.

substituted by the second recension

is

;
:
;

The Turha Philosophorum.

by the

iron,

magnet and the

existing between the

copper

iron, while the

composites

of

alliance

79

ruled for

is fitly

what statement
can be more useful to you than that
there is no affinity between tinf and
one hundred days

quicksilver

Turba

The

?+

Thou hast ill

:*

I

:

spoken, having disparaged

And

the true disposition.
that

answereih

he

I testify-

:

say nothing but what

is

true

you incensed against me ?
Fear the Lord, all ye Turba, that your
The Turba
Master may believe you
answereth : Say what you will. And he
I direct you to take quicksilver, in
which is the male potency§ or strength

why

are

!

•

The second

recension adds

and water of the Philosophers.
tion

is

t

:— " Between

This

affinity

the copper

and combina-

given to them in the space ot one hundred days."

The definition may not be important, but it

is,

perhaps,

as well to state that the Greek Lexicon of Chry sop eia explains
that tin alchemically

is

cinnabar,

and that

cinnabar

sublimed vapour obtained by coction in cauldrons.

M.

Berthelot observes that the reference

mercury or the sulphur
\

is

is

Here

to sublimed

thereof.

According to the alternative version :— '• The nature

of the one does not agree with the nature of the other."
§

•*

The proper end

to obtain the

semen

of the whole art," says Horus, "is

of the

male

secretly, seeing that all

The Turba Philosophorum.

8o

cook the same with

becomes a

fluxible

its

body

until it

water; cook the

masculine together with the vapour,
until

each

and

be coagulated

shall

become a stone. Then take the water
which you had divided into two parts,
and cooking the body, but the second is for
cleansing that which is already burnt,
and its companion, which [two] are
of which one

made

is for

one.

liquefying

Imbue the stone seven

and cleanse, until it be disintegrated, and its body be purged from
become earth.
defilement, and
all
times,

Know

also that in the time of forty-two

days the whole

is

changed into earth

;

by cooking, therefore, liquefy the same
until it become as true water, which is
Then wash with water of
quicksilver.
nitre until it become as a liquefied coin.
Then cook until it be congealed and
become Hke to tin, when it is a most
Hence Horus says

things are male and female.
certain place
will

:

find that

in

a

Join the male and the female, and you

which

process of reunion,

charms Nature," &c.

is

sought

nothing

;

as a fact, without this

can

succeed, for

Nature

— Olympiodorus On the Sacred Art.

%l

The Turba Philosophonim,

great

arcanum

stone which

is

;

that

is

8i

say,

to

out of two things.

the

Rule

same by cooking and pounding,
until it becomes a most excellent

the

Know

crocus.

also

that unto water

companion we have
given the name of crocus. Cook it,
therefore, and imbue with the residual
water reserved by you until you attain
desiccated with

its

your purpose.
The Twenty -fourth Dictum,

BocAScus*
well,

O

Thou

saith:

hast spoken

Belus, and therefore

thy steps

!

He

answereth

:

As

I

follow
it

may

please you, but do not become envious,
for that

is

not the part of the Wise.

And

BocAscus: Thou speakest the truth,
and thus, therefore, I direct the Sons of

Take

the Doctrine.

lead, and, as the

liquefy,

have ordained, imbue,
and afterwards congeal, until a

stone

produced

Philosophers

is

;

then rule the stone

with gluten of gold and syrup of pomegranates until
*

The name

it

in the

be broken up. But you
second recension

is

Boratis.

G

—

—

+

The Turba Philosophorum.

82

have already divided the water into
two parts, with one of which you have

and

liquefied the lead,

it

has become

same
until it be dried and have become
earth
then pound with the water
as water;

cook,

therefore, the

;

reserved until

it

acquire a red colour,

as you have been frequently ordered.*

The Turba answereth

Thou

:

hast done

nothing but pile up ambiguous words.

And

Return, therefore, to the subject.
he

Ye who wish

:

to coagulate quick-

must mix

silver,1"
*

Otherwise:

t

The Greek

*'

with

it

Rule frequently, as

have said."

alchemists claim to have accomplished

means of the Body

the fixation of Mercury by

Zosimus understands

by which

equal.

its
I

of

Magnesia,

An

molybdochalchos.

unassigned fragment of the Byzantine collection has the
following poetical reference to the fixation of Mercury

" Mercury

obtained

is

like

in

cinnabar, a rare substance, that
I refer

It is that

easily volatilised,

become an
hemisphere
of the

above

;

wisdom.

difficult to retain,

" With

which

is

in the testing of souls.

spirit,

it

suitable

termed dried and

darts towards

Having

the upper

descends and ascends, avoiding the action

it

its

printer's choice

all

employed

etherised

fire, until,

state of

\

by the dry way and a

to cinnabar obtained

roasting.

:

manner with artificial
is, one met with rarely.

quitting

Until

and

is

it

its role of fugitive, it

reaches a

has attained this condition,

mortal."

it

is

Fabrication of the All,

body," says the second recension

between compart and carport.

;

it is

a

The Turba Philosophorum,

Afterwards cook

it

diligently until both

become permanent
cook

But

water, and, again,

water until

this

be coagulated.

it

be desiccated with

let this

83

its

own

equal vapour, because ye have found
the whole quicksilver to be coagulated

by
in

If

itself.*

ye understand, and place

your vessel what
until

it

poundt

is

necessary, cook

be coagulated,

it

until

it

and then
becomes a crocus like to

the colour of gold.

The Twenty -fifth Dictum.

Menabdus
the

for

the truth

May God

saith:

regimen, since thou speakest

For thou hast illuminated

!

thy words.

And they

thou praisest him

:

It is said

I

And he

:

I

do

know

can utter nothing but that which

he hath uttered
posterity to
*

because

for his sayings,

not be inferior to him.
that

reward thee

The second

;

make

however,

I

counsel

bodies not bodies,

recension reads

:— " Let

the whole be

coagulated into quicksilver."
t

more

The second
in its vessel,

recension merely says

and pound."

:— "

Place

it

once

The Ttirba Philosophorum.

84

but these incorporeal things bodies.*

For by

this

regimen the composite

prepared, and the hidden part of

nature

is

With

extracted.

is
its

these bodies

accordingly join quicksilver and the

body of Magnesia,! the woman also with
the man, and by means of this there
is

extracted our secret Ethelia, through

which bodies are coloured

assuredly,

;

understand this regimen, bodies

if I

become not bodies, and incorporeal
things become bodies. If ye diligently
pound the things in the fire and digest
•

Egg

The Byzantine fragment upon The

contains this statement

:

and unless bodies again

corporeal state,

corporeal state, that which

But Mary

is

correspond

literally

is

Philosophical

" Unless bodies lose their

assume

quoted by Olympiodorus

in

terms which

with the text of the Turba: " Except

you convert corporeal substances

into

incorporeal, and

incorporeal substances into corporeal, and unless you

two bodies
achieved."

into

The

in precisely the

their

desired will not be attained."

one body, no desired
" divine "

same

Zozimus

fashion,

that to convert and transmute

result

also quotes

make

will

be

Hermes

and he observes elsewhere
is

to impart

body

to the

incorporeal.— r^« Body of Magnesia.

Zosimus, commenting upon Mary, concludes that
Body of Magnesia is molybdochalchos, or black

t

the
lead.

try

[See note on

p. 82.]

on the subject of the

last

The

confusion of old chemis-

substance

is

well

known.

The Turba Philosophorum,

85

become
And know ye

(or join to) the Ethelias, they

clean and fixed things.
that quicksilver
bodies,

is

a

fire

mortifying and

burning the

breaking up,

with one regimen, and the more

it

is

mixed and pounded with the body, the
more the body is disintegrated, while
the quicksilver is attenuated and becomes living. For when ye shall diligently pound fiery quicksilver and cook
it

as required, ye will possess Ethel, a

nature* and

fixed

colour, subject

to

every tincture, which also overcomes,
breaks,

and constrains the

this reason

For

fire.t

does not colour things

it

unless it be coloured, and being coloured
it

colours.!

can tinge

And know

that no

unless

spirit

itself

its

body

be ex-

tracted from the secret belly thereof,

when

it

That

becomes a body and soul withis,

which does not

according to the second recension, " one
flee

from the

fire."

t Alternatively, "all bodies,"

which seems a preferable

reading.
X

The second

colours

once

it

all spirits,

has been

recension

says that

because Ethelia tinges

itself

tinged."

"
all

it

holds and

things

when

—

The Turba Philosophorum.

86

out the
tincture,

which is a spiritual
out of which colours have

spirit,*

manifested, seeing that a dense thing

does not tinge a tenuous, but a tenuous
nature colours that which enters into a

When, however, ye have

body.

ruled

the body of copper, and have extracted

from

it

a most tenuous (subject), then

the latter

which
tinge

know

unless

first

And

be tinged.

it

that those four bodies which you

This distinction between the soul and the

•

The

copper does not

said, that

recognised by Zosimus,
soul

Hence has the

coloured. +

it is

man

wise

changed into a tincture by

is

is

who

follows

spirit is

Democritus.

The

the primitively sulphureous and caustic nature.

purifying influence of

fire

preserves the spirit

when

the operation has been conducted according to the rules of

The

Art.

spirit is

the useful part, the tingeing element.

The Four Metallic Bodies,
t In his treatise
cites

Democritus

On

dtc.

Virtue

and

to the effect that

Interpretation,

but that copper burnt by means of

having undergone

oil

of natron, and

this treatment repeatedly,

beautihil than gold.

Zosimus

copper does not tinge,

becomes more

" Copper does not tinge so long as

preserves an unique essence, but
tion with other bodies.

How

it

then,

tinges by
if this

its

it

combina-

combination be

wanting, and before the copper has been tinged, can one

succeed in tingeing objects made subject to the action oi
fire?"

The Turba Philosophorum,

are directed

87

to rule are this copper,

and that the tinctures which I have
signified unto you are the condensed
and the humid,* but the condensed is
a conjoined vapour, and the humid is
the

water

of

sulphur,

for

sulphurs

are contained by sulphurs, and rightly

by these things Nature
Nature, and overcomes,

rejoices

and

in

con-

strains.

The Twenty-Sixth Dictum,

Zenon

saith:

I

perceive that you,

O

crowd of the Wise, have conjoined two
bodies, which your Master by no
The Turba
means ordered you to do
!

answer eth

:

Inform

according

us

to

O Zenon, in this
of envy
Then
beware
matter, and
he
Know that the colours which shall

your own opinion,

!

:

appear to you out of it are these.
Know, O Sons of the Doctrine, that it
behoves you to allow the composition
to putrefy for forty days,
*

The second

recension reads:

and then

to

"The condensed and

the humid are these two tinctures, the condensed being
joined with the humid."

The Turba Philosophorum,

88

Next

sublimate five times in a vessel.

and cook, when

join to a fire of dung,

these colours shall appear to you
the

day

first

black

unto a dry crocus,*

on the

citrine,

second black red, on

On

:

the third

the purple

finally,

colour will appear to you

like

the ferment

;

and the coin of the vulgar shall be
imposed then is the Ixir composed
out of the humid and the dry, and
then it tinges with an invariable tincture. Know also that it is called a body
wherein there is gold. But when ye
are composing the Ixir, beware lest
;

you extract the same
lingers.!

as an

For
and

Ixir.

imposed upon
preferable

venom

this

many

coins
reading

is,

because

life,

soul extracted out of

The

it

Extract, therefore, the same

were, birth

*

hastily, for

:l
is

:

as

it

is

a

it

and

things,

its

tincture,

" Crocus

like

unto

sericus."
t

The second

you extract the

recension substitutes

spirit

in

haste,

for

:

" Beware

perchance

it

lest

will

perish."
I

The second

recension reads:— "And the soul shall

remain, a tincture extracted out of

imposed upon coins."

many

things,

and

The Turba Philosophorum.
therefore,

which

it

joined, from which

is

moves evil, but
from which it

Accord-

extracted.

is

re-

it

death to the bodies

it is

Masters

the

ingly,

to those things with

life

is

89

have said

that

between them there exists the same
desire as between male and female,

and

if

any one, being introduced to

know

should

Art,

these

this

he

natures,

would sustain the tediousness of cooking until he gained his purpose according to the will of God.
The Twenty-Seventh Dictum.

Gregorius*
it

have
to

like

O

all

ye Turba,

be

and they have ordered

ruled

marble

*

The name

t

Antimony,

stone

venerable

the

called

Efflucidinus,i
it

:

be observed that the envious

to

is

saith

in

in the
in

until
its

And

splendour. +

second recension

the

coruscates

it

is

Chambar.

second recension.

The most

bizarre terms of the Turba did not find favour with Western

Alchemists
is difficult

;

Eflflucidinus is a special instance in point.

to speak with complete authority, but

said almost certainly that no later author

Moreover, no vocabulary mentions it.
Stone
\ The comparison of the

gleaming marble

is

found,

among

in

it

made use of
its

It

may be
it.

splendour to

other of the Greek

;

The Turha Philosophorum,

90
they

to

Show,

:

what

therefore,

Then

posterity.

he

it

is

Willingly

:

must know that the copper
commingled with vinegar, and
is
water.
becomes
it
until
ruled
Finally, let it be congealed, and it
you

a coruscating stone with a

remains
brilliancy

ye

like

thus,

see

becomes
is cooked till it
becomes earth,
until

red

direct

you

is
it

turned

is

assume the aforesaid
shall become hidden

colour,

it

all

it

and

it

re-

will

become

It

behoves

gold of a Tyrian colour.

O

until

Then

gold.

when

a

thus,

it

it

it

and

into

ye see

repeatedly cook and imbue

you, therefore,

when

disintegrated

When

peat the process,

rule

to

red, because

it

colour»

when

marble, which,
I

ye investigators of

alchemists, in Zosimus, and especially in his Detailed

Exposition of the Work, where, however, he is quoting
Democritus. " Mark the Philosopher, seized with a divine

on the subject of

transport,

this

white sulphur

preparation become like unto marble, then

And

mystery."
proceeds

:

substances,

which

again,

"

having

cited

is

:

If

the

there a great

Stephanus,

he

Now, that which tinges tinctures and tinged
the same is divine water, the great mystery,

is like

unto marble."

The Turba Philosophorum,
this Art,

gi

when ye have observed that
is
coruscating, to pound

Stone

this

and turn

earth,

some degree

quires

take

into

it

which

of redness

remainder*

the

the

until

then

;

the

of

ac-

it

water

ordered you to

enviousf

divide into two parts,

and ye

shall

imbibe themi several times until the
colours which are hidden by no body

appear unto you.§
Know also that
if ye rule it ignorantly, ye shall see
I knew a
who commenced this

nothing of those colours.
person

certain

work, and operated

natures

the

of

who, when the redness was
somewhat slow in appearing, imagined
that he had made a mistake, and
truth,

so relinquished the
therefore,

how ye make

*

Otherwise:

t

The

recension,

work.||

•'

Observe,

the conjunc-

a small quantity."

opprobrious term

is

omitted by the second

and the reference seems to be

to the division ot

the water indicated in an earlier part of the colloquy.
X

The second

recension substitutes " sand."

§

Otherwise

" until the hidden colours shall appear."

:

A common anecdote of the alchemists, reproduced
many variations, and even in Hermetic poems, such

|l

with

as Norton's Ordinal of Alchemy.

The Turba Philosophorum.

92

punic dye,* having em-

tion, for the

braced his spouse, passes swiftly into
her body,

liquefies,

breaks

congeals,

and disintegrates the same. Finally,

up,

the redness does not delay in coming,

and

if

ye

effect it

without the weight,

death will take place, whereupon
will be thought to be bad.
Hence,
order that the

fire

it
I

should be gentle in

when it is turned to
make the same intense,! and

liquefaction, but

earth

imbue

until

it

God

shall extract the

colours for us and they appear.

The Twenty-eighth Dictum.

CusTos

saith

Turba

at

!

:

I

am

surprised,

O

ye

all

the very great force and

nature of this water, for

when

entered into the said body,

it

it

has

turns

it

and next into powder,
to test the perfection of which take in
the hand, and if ye find it impalpable
as water, it is then most excellent;
first

into earth,

•

The second

t

That

is,

recension reads

:

" the male."

"intenser in congelation," according

the second recension.

to

The Turba Philosophorum.

93

otherwise, repeat the cooking until

brought

the

to

And know

that

if

required

it is

condition.

ye use any substance

other than our copper, and rule with

you nothing.
on the other hand, ye rule our
copper with our water, ye shall find all
that has been promised by us.
But

our water,

it

will profit

If,

the

Turba

vious'^'

answereth

created no

:

little

Father, the enobscurity

when

they commanded us to take lead and
white quicksilver, and to rule the same
with dew and the sun

till

it

becomes

Then he: They
a coin-like stone.
meant our copper and our permanent

when they thus

directed you to
and affirmed that
there should be produced the said coinlike stone, concerning which the Wise
have also observed, that Nature rejoices
in Nature, by reason of the affinity
which they know to exist between the

water,

cook

*

is

a

in a gentle fire,

The

distinction

little difficult

between the Wise and the Envious

to follow, nor

is it

at all certain that the

envious had less wisdom than the wise, or the wise less

envy than the envious.
Greeks

indifferently.

In either case, they were

all

The Turba Philosophorum,

94

two bodies, that is to say, copper
and permanent water. Therefore, the
nature of these two is one, for between
them there is a mixed affinity, without

which they would not so swiftly unite,
and be held together so that they

may become

Turba:

Saith the

one.

Why

do the envious direct us to take
the copper which we have now made,
and roasted until it has become gold ?
The Twenty-Ninth Dictum.

DiAMEDES
already,

saith

O

:

Thou

hast

spoken

Moses*, in an ungrudging

manner, as became thee

will also

I

;

confirm thy words, passing over the

hardness of the elements which the
wise desire to remove, this disposition

being

most

Know,

O ye

man
man

that

precious

in

eyes.

their

seekers after this doctrine,

does not

proceed

that only which

except
unto

from a

;

themselves

is

begotten from brute ani-

and so

also with flying creatures.

mals
•

;

This reference

is

is like

omitted from the second recension.

Moses may be a misprint

for Gustos, or vice

vena.

The Turha Philosophorum,

95

have treated these matters in compendious fashion, exalting you towards
the truth, who yourselves omit proI

Nature

lixity, for

is

truly not

improved

by Nature, save with her own nature,
seeing that thou thyself art not im-

proved except
say,

man

in

in

thy son, that

is

to

man.* See, therefore, that

ye do not neglect the precepts concerning her^ but

make

use of venerable

Nature, for out of her Art cometh, and
*

"

When

thou hast attained,

standing of these things by

way

my

creation and generation as a whole,
is

able to bring forth

man, the

dog procreates the dog.
is

child, to the under-

of a preliminary, consider

and know that man
and the

lion begets the lion,

Should

produced contrary to nature,

it
it

happen that a creature
is

a monster which

engendered, and the same hath no consistence.

is

Nature

charms nature, and nature triumphs through nature. The
adepts having participated in the divine power, and having
succeeded by the divine assistance, illuminated by the
fruit of

the prayers of

Isis,

made

preparations with certain

metallic minera, without having recourse to other (unsuitable) substances.

Thus they succeeded by means of the

substantial nature in triumphing over the matter
in the preparations.

said that

In

fact,

even as

employed

have previously

I

wheat begets wheat, and man sows man, so also

gold serves for

the

increase of

gold,

and

generally for the reproduction of their like.

mystery been revealed."— Is/s

to

Horvs.

like

Now

things

hath the

The Turba Philosophorum.

g6

Know

out of no other.
less

you

rule

it,

also that un-

Nature and

seize hold of this

ye

obtain nothing.

will

therefore, that

male,

the red slave,*

in

who

Join,

son to

is

marriage with his

fragrant wife, which having been done,

Art

is

produced between them
matter

foreign

neither

unto

exceeding
The

*

nearer

is

precious

things,

else

is

the nature of

is

found also in old Arabian

defined this Stone by saying that

earth

;

burning

hard stone and

;

&c.

In

the

fire

running water and

It

is

fire

dead

;

the flying slave,

makes and

is

Speculum Majus of Vincent de

appears as a synonym of Mercury, which of

it

course

an obvious symbolism.

some

is

treatises,

"They have

and frozen

the thing which

;

Beauvais
is

it

soft stone.

the swift and the stable

made,"

it is

How

still. +

such as the Twelve Chapters of Ostanes:

permanent water

that

;

the Servus Fugitivus abounds in

allegory ot

alchemy, and

add no

sufficient for us, for

is

near, yet the son

later

these

powder nor anything

conception

;

treatise

lexicons, the

Rulandus attributes

ascribed to Hermes.

Red Servant

it

to

According to other

the matter from which the

is

Philosophers extract their Mercury, which must therefore

be the marriageable son mentioned
fugitive role of

Mercury

is

ment on The Fabrication of the
t

The second

begotten."

in the text above.

The

Greek

frag-

referred to in the

recension

All, as already cited.

reads:

"A

true

son

is

;

The Turba Philosophorum.

red

that

without

slave,

regimen cannot endure

!

97

which

Bacsen

the

saith

Diomedes, thou hast pubUcly
vealed this disposition
1

will

Woe

He may

who

are

therefore,

do not

flee

us, therefore,

God,

fear not

you

deprive

towards your brethren

We

answereth

even shed more light upon

unto you

Why,

He

!

?

of

this

is

:

it.

for

art

!

you envious
They answer

:

except from fools

what

:

re-

thy will

?

tell

;

And

he

:

Place Citrine with his wife after the
conjunction into the bath

;

do

not

kindle the bath excessively, lest they

be deprived

sense

of

and

motion

cause them to remain in the bath until
their

and the colour

body,

shall

become a

upon

restore unto

again suffer

it

and beware

lest

burning them

thereof,

certain unity, where-

the sweat thereof;

it

to die

then give

;

it

rest,

ye evaporate them by
in

too

strong a

fire.

Venerate the king and his wife,* and
*

According to Rulandus, the King

is

the spiritual

water which gives moisture to the female, but there are

many meanings.

This passage

is

the fountain-head of the

whole symbolism of the alchemical marriage, which

H

is

!

!

The Turha Philosophorum,

98

do not burn them, since you know not
when you may have need of these
things, which improve the king and his
wife.
Cook them, therefore, until they
become black, then white, afterwards
red, and finally until a tingeing venom

O

produced.

is

happy are

Science,

stand, but

my

seekers

if

not,

I

ye,

have

if
still

after

ye

this

under-

performed

duty, and that briefly, so that

ye remain

ignorant,

it

if

God who

is

hath concealed the truth from you

Blame

not, therefore, the

yourselves, for

if

Wise, but

God knew

that ye

possessed a faithful mind, most cer-

would reveal unto you the
Behold, I have established you
and have extricated you from

tainly he
truth.
therein,

error

The Thirtieth Dictum.

Bacsen
well,

saith:

Thou

O Diomedes, but

I

hast

do not see that

concerned: always with royal personages.
Sponsus and

Rosy

Cross,

illustrate

Spoma

spoken

Compare the

of the Chemical Nuptials of Christian

and the innumerable

Latin Alchemy.

able to a Greek source.

It

pictorial

emblems which

does not appear to be trace-

:

The Turba Philosophorum,

99

thou hast demonstrated the disposition
of Corsufle* to posterity
Corsufle

the

with
Tell

Of this same

have spoken
ways, and have confused it

many

in

!

envious

manner

all

of names.

cording

thy

to

matters, and

that this

is

Then he
Bacsen, ac-

O

me, therefore,

opinion

these

in

swear by thy father

I

the head of the work,t for

the true beginning hereof cometh after

Bacsen

the completion.
notice,

therefore,

to

saith:

I

give

seekers

future

commust be roasted

after this Art, that Corsufle is a

and that

posite,
*

The

Rulandus

lexicographers

after

alchemy who

of

followed

a long interval, explain that Corsufle, or as

they sometimes wrote

it,

Philosophers fixed at the
is

it

Carsufle, is the Sulphur of the

Red

Stage.

Under

neither form

the term to be found in Rulandus himselt, though he

was well acquainted with the Turba.

His dictionary,

however, includes Cor Fuffla, which might be a mutilated
version produced in a

the

impurity

German

of bodies,

a

printing office.
definition

It signifies

which does not

correspond either with the text of the Turba, or with the
vocabularies.

subsequent
obscure, and

it is

The

or Syrian alchemy published
t

head,

The

origin

of the word

by M. Berthelot.

According to the second recension, Corsufle
i.e.,

is

not found in the collections of Arabian

is

the

the crown, and not the beginning of the work.

speaker also

is different,

namely, Nephitus.

!

The Turba Philosophorum,

100

seven times, because when
at perfection

it

it

arrives

tinges the whole body.

—

The Turba answereth: Thou
spoken the truth, O Bacsen

hast

The Thirty 'First Dicttim,

Pythagoras

— How

does

the

discourse of Bacsen appear to

you,

saith:

has omitted to name the
substance by its artificial names?
And they
Name it, therefore, oh
Pythagoras
And he : Corsufle being
its
composition, they have applied
he

since

:

!

to

it

all

the

names of bodies

in

the

world, as, for example, those of coin,

copper,

tin,

name

of lead, until

that

colour

Turba

and

gold, iron,
it

well,

O

have

also

among

the others

Thou

Pythagoras

spoken

!

The

Ixir.

hast spoken

And

well,

may

the

be deprived of

and become

answereth:

also

he

and

:

Ye

some

discourse con-

cerning the residual matters.
The Thirty-Second Dictum,

BoNELLUS

O

saith:

Pythagoras,

all

According to thee,
things die and live

The Turha Philosophorum,

loi

by the will of God, because that nature
from which the humidity is removed,
that nature which is left by nights,
does indeed seem like unto something
that is dead it is then turned and
;

(again)
is left

left for

tomb, when

in his

will restore

and the

it

man

becomes a

These things being done,

powder.*

God

certain nights, as a

unto

it

spirit thereof,

both the soul

and the weak-

ness being taken away, that matter will

be made strong, and after corruption
will be improved, even as a man

becomes stronger after resurrection and
younger than he was in this world.
Therefore it behoves you, O ye Sons
of the Doctrine, to consume that
matter with

become a

boldly until

fire

when know

cinder,

have mixed

it

•

The

text

is

spirit,

is

like to

and is imbued
The second

corrupt and unintelligible.

one dead

;

like

it

has been

and then that nature

in fire until the spirit of that

becomes dust

that ye

" Therefore that nature from which the

:

humidity has been removed, when
nights,

shall

excellently well, for that

cinder receives the

recension reads

it

body returns

unto one dead

in his

;

tomb."

is

left

for

wanting

and then

it

The Turba Philosoplwrum,

102

with the

humour

until

colour than

fairer

it

it

assumes a

previously pos-

sessed. Consider, therefore,

O

ye Sons

of the Doctrine, that artists are unable

own tinctures until
they convert them into a powder;
similarly, the philosophers cannot comto paint with their

bine medicines for the sick slaves until

they also turn them into powder, cooking

some

of

them

to a cinder, while

others they grind with

The

case

is

the

their

hands.

same with those who

compose the images of the ancients.
But if ye understand what has already
been

ye will know that I speak
and hence I have ordered
burn up the body and turn it

said,

the truth,

you

to

into a cinder,

for

if

ye rule

it

subtly

many things will proceed from it, even
much proceeds from the smallest

as

things in the world.

It is

thus because

man, has a body and a
soul, for the inspiration of men cometh
from the air, which after God is their
life, and similarly the copper is inspired
by the humour from which that same

copper

like

The Turba Philosophorum,

copper receiving strength

103

multiplied

is

and augmented like other things.
Hence, the philosophers add, that
when copper is consumed with fire and
iterated several times, it
becomes
better than it
was.
The
Turba
answereth: Show, therefore, O Bonellus,
to future generations after what manner it becometh better than it was
!

And

he:

because
plied,

will

I
it

is

do so willingly;

it is

augmented and multi-

and because God extracts many-

things out of one thing, since

He

hath

created nothing which wants

its

own

regimen, and those qualities by which
its

healing must be effected.

our

larly,

when

copper,

Simiis

it

first

cooked, becomes water; then the more
it is

until

cooked, the more
it

becomes a

have termed

it,

is

it

thickened

stone, as the envious

but

it is

really

an egg

tending to become a metal.

It

is

when
more intense

afterwards broken and imbued,

ye must

roast

than the

it

in

former,

a

fire

until

it

shall

be

coloured and shall become like blood

104

^^^^

Turba PhilosopJiorum.

combustion, when

in

placed on
and changes them into gold,

coins

is

it

according to the Divine pleasure.

you not see that sperm
from the blood unless

cooked

in the liver

not produced

is

be diligently

it

till it

Do

has acquired

an intense red colour, after which no
change takes place in that sperm ?*
the

It is
it

same with our work,

for unless

be cooked diligently until

it

shall

become a powder, and afterwards be
putrefied until it shall become a spiritual
sperm, there

from

But

it

will in

no wise proceed

that colour which ye desire.

ye arrive at the conclusion of
this regimen, and so obtain your purif

be princes among the

pose, ye shall

people of your time.

The Thirty-Third Dictum,

NiCARUS saith:
this arcanum
•

The comparison

— Now

ye have

The

public.

of the progress of the work to the

development ol the embryo, which
above reference, and
adepts,

is

found also

made
Turba

is,

in

in fact,

is

suggested by the

common

to

all

the Greek writers, and

Latin

among

The Turba Philosophorum.

Thus did the Master order.
Not the whole, nevertheless.
He ordered us to clear away
:

answereth

And

he:

But

they

105

:

the darkness therefrom

And

fore, tell us.

he

terity to take the gold

to multiply

;

do thou, thereI

:

counsel pos-

which they wish

and renovate, then to divide

And

the water into two parts.

they

:

when they divide
It behoves them

Distinguish, therefore,

But he

the water.

:

to burn up our copper with one part.

For the
water,

said copper, dissolved in that
called the ferment of Gold,* if

is

these, in Comarius,

who

says that the test of

the material as the embryo

is

fire

nourishes

nourished in the mother's

womb.
• M. Berthelot traces the original notion of the fermentation of metals to the sophistication called diplosis.

designed for the accomplishment of a
imitation are also

met with,

for

" Recipes

more profound

example, the alliance of

gold or silver with a more or less considerable quantity ot

some

less

diplosis"

precious metal
It is

;

this

was the operation

of

found in the Leyden papyrus, but there

are traces that the Egyptian goldsmith believed, or at any
rate sought to

was

really

fermentation."
in

many

make

others believe, " that the true metal

multiplied

The

by an operation

comparable

fermentation of metals

places by the Greek writers:

that this water, after the

manner of

mine the fermentations destined

*'

is

It is

to

mentioned
necessary

leaven, should deter-

to produce the like,

by

The Turba Philosophorum.

io6

For the same in
manner are cooked and liquefy

ye rule
water

well.

;

and

crumble,

But then

appears.

as

by cooking they are

finally,

congealed,

like

it

the

red

behoves you to

imbue seven times with the residual
water, until they absorb

and,

all

the water,

the moisture being dried up,

all

they are turned into dry earth
kindle a

fire

and place

then

;

therein for forty

days until the whole shall putrefy, and
its

colours appear.
The Thirty -Fourth Dictum,

Bacsen

saith

On

:

account

of thy

dicta

the Philosophers said beware,*

Take

the regal Corsufle, which

to the redness of copper,

is

like

and pound

in the urine of a calf until the nature
means

of the like, in the metallic

tact, after the

same manner

body to be tinged.

in a small quantity, ferments a great

also will this

matter."
literal

*

mass of

morsel of gold ferment

little

This notion

is

As a

that the leaven of dough, used

all

paste, so

the dry

repeated in terms essential and

by innumerable Latin alchemists.
For

this

somewhat

cension substitutes

:

"

It

bizarre reading the

seems needful to lay

second
stress

some matters which have been already mentioned."

re-

upon

The Turba Philosophorum.

of the Corsufle

107

converted, for the

is

true nature has been hidden in the

saith

Explain to posterity what the

:

nature

which

And

And

is.

he

A

:

tingeing spirit

hath from permanent water,

it

which
is

The Turea

of the Corsufle.

belly

they

and

coinlike,

is

Shew,

:

and water

he

:

It is

poured upon

is

how

therefore,

And

extracted.

coruscates.
it

pounded,
seven

it

whole
which
humour, and receives a force

times

is

until

absorbs

it

the

equal to the hostility of the

then

it

same

is

called

diligently

spiritual

powder,

blood, which the

Putrefy the

rust.

until
of

fire;

it

becomes a

a colour like burnt

fire

overcoming hath

introduced into the receptive belly of

Nature, and hath coloured with an
This, therefore, have

indelible colour.

kings sought, but not found, save only
to

whom God
*

It

was

has granted

different in the

But

it.*

days of Zosimus,

who

tells

us that in Egypt the divine art of operating on minera

belonged to the Kings, and the alchemists of the Nile no

more worked

in their

The increase

of the

own

interest than the minters of coin.

King's riches was the only end

in view,

!:

The Turba Philosophorum.

io8
the

Turba

O

Bacsen.

saith

Finish your speech,

:

And

he

I

:

them

direct

to

whiten copper with white water, by
which also they make red. Be careful
not to introduce any foreign matter.

And

Turba:

the

Well
Bacsen, and

O

spoken,

also has spoken well

have

spoken

hast

thou

Nictimerus

Then he: If I
do one of you

!

well,

continue.
The Thirty-Fifth Dictum.

But ZiMON

*

Hast thou left anything to be said by another ? And the
Turba Since the words of Nicarus and
Bacsen are of little good to those who
saith

:

:

seek after this Art,

tell

us, therefore,

what thou knowest, according as we
have said.
And he: Ye speak the
truth,

O

all

Nothing

else

ye seekers after

this

Art

has led you into error but

the sayings of the envious, t because what
and

for this

reason the priests

who were

acquainted with

the mineral secrets did not dare to disclose them publicly.
*

In the second recension

the

name

is

rendered

Zeunon.

*•

t The second recension has an important variation
The words of the Egyptians have led us into error."

The Turba Philosophorum,

ye seek

sold at the smallest possible

is

price.*

109

If

men knew

and how

this,

great was the thing they held in their

hands, they would in no wise

sell it.

Therefore, the Philosophers have glori-

venom, + have treated of it
and in many ways, have
taken and applied to it all manner of
names, wherefore, certain envious persons have said It is a stone and not a

fied that

variously,

:

stone, but

gum

a

of

Ascotia,

con-

sequently, the Philosophers have con-

For

cealed the power thereof.
spirit

which ye seek, that ye may tinge

therewith,

concealed in the body,

is

and hidden away from
the soul in the
*

is

human

This passage recalls

effect in the

end

this

body.t

many

Greek alchemists,

sight,

even as

But ye

statements to the same

example, that the

as, tor

not to be obtained by money, " for the Lord

God

has delivered the same gratuitously, by reason ot the
beggars and the despairing."

But

this

Byzantine Assembly of the Philosophers

passage from the
is

in part at least

an interpolation.
t

The second

recension

reads

:

" that useful

and

abject thing."
\

which

Otherwise: " Therein

is

the spirit which you seek,

tinges, vivifies, gives health

and

life

to bodies."

no

The Turba Philosophorum,

seekers after the Art, unless ye disintegrate

body, imbue and pound

this

cautiously and

both

ye extract
grease),

from

it

and turn

impalpable

diligently,

until

grossness (or

its

into a tenuous and
have your labour in

it

spirit,

Wherefore the Philosophers have
said
Except ye turn bodies into notbodies, and incorporeal things into
bodies, ye have not yet discovered the
vain.

:

rule
saith:

he

and

turned

are

They

:

Ethelia

are
till

take

place

the

into

not-bodies.

pounded with
they become

And know

powder.*
not

therefore,

Tell,

bodies

And

Turba
posterity how

But

operation.

of

fire

a

that this does

by

except

an

ex-

ceedingly strong decoction, and continuous

a moderate
*

The second

pounded
t

until

The

performed

contrition,

it

fire,t

not with

recension reads

becomes dust," but

counsel of Olympiodorus

••

:

it is

is

should escape in smoke and be lost,"

\

is

Some

is

not practised by

hands,!

When

Ethelia

is

evidently corrupt.

similar

must burn with moderation and gentleness,
that this Art

with

:

"

And, again

means of a

Latin alchemists say that the

The

lest the

fierce

:

fire

vapour

"Know

fire.''

Magnum Opus

a work of the bands, which others deny, and a very pretty

The Turba Philosophorum.

iii

with imbibition and putrefaction, with

exposure to the sun and to Ethelia.
The envious caused the vulgar to err in
this Art
is

when they stated

common

a small

in its

They

price.

that the thing

nature and

is

sold at

further said that

the nature was more precious than

all

natures, wherefore they deceived those

who had

same time they spoke the

the

At

recourse to their books.

truth,

and therefore doubt not these things.
But the Turba answereth : Seeing that
thou

believest

sayings

the

of

the

envious, explain, therefore, to posterity

the

disposition

And

he

:

the two

of

natures.

you that Art

to

testify

I

requires two natures, for the precious
is

not produced without the

diversity of opinion has risen

consequence.

The

common,

up among interpreters in

partisans of the

view, denying the

first

metallic object of the Art, affirm that the mystery of the

manual operation was the mystery of animal magnetThe Turba in the passage above, and in other
ism.
places, is against the use of the hands, whatever that

have

signified, here following

thou, as do some, that manual action
sufficient

;

superior to

there

is

of itself and alone

is

also required that of Nature,

man's."— On

may

Olympiodorus: " Think not

the Sacred Art.

an action

112

The Turba Philosophorum,

nor the

common

without the precious.

O

behoves you, therefore,

It

all

ye

investigators of this Art, to follow the

sayings of Victimerus,*
to

his

you

disciples:

save

to

And

when he

Nothing

sublimate

Turba

said

else helps

water

and

The whole
vapour and the sublimation of water.
Demonstrate, there-

vapour.

work

is

the

:

in the

them the disposition of the
And he : When ye shall perceive that the natures have become
water by reason of the heat of the
fire, and that they have been purified,
and that the whole body of Magnesia
fore,

to

vapour.

is

liquefied as water; then all things

have been made vapour, and
for then the vapour contains

rightly,
its

own

equal, wherefore the envioust call either

vapour,
in

because

both

are

joined

and one contains the
Thus our stag finds no path to

decoctions,

other.

escape, although flight be essential to
•

t

••
Of the elders," says the second recension,
The Philoso>
The second recension substitutes

phers," a variation which, in

'•

its

way,

is significant.

The Turba Philosophorum,

The one keeps back

it.

113

the other, so

has no opportunity to fly, and it
no place to escape
hence all
are made permanent, for when the one
falls, being hidden in the body, it is
congealed with it, and its colour varies,
and it extracts its nature from the properties which God has infused into His
elect, and it alienates it, lest it flee. But
the blackness and redness appear, and it
falls into sickness, and dies by rust and

that

it

finds

;

putrefaction
it

has

;

properly speaking, then,

a

not

flight,

although

desirous to escape servitude
it is

free

it

spouse

but when

;

it

is

when

follows its spouse, that a

may

favourable colour
its

;

then

its
it

makes them

beauty

is

befall itself
is

not as

it

and
was,

placed with coins,

gold.

For

it

this reason,

have called
and
the
soul
vapour.
They
the
have also called it the black humid
wanting perlution and forasmuch as in
man there are both humidity and
dryness, thus our work, which the
envious have concealed, is nothing else
therefore, the Philosophers
spirit

;

^^^ Turba Philosophorum.

114

but vapour and water.
answereth

water

Demonstrate

:

And

!

he

I

:

two

Turba

The

vapour

and

say that the work

have
called it composed out of two, because
these two become four, wherein are
dryness and humidity,
spirit
and
vapour. The Turba answereth Thou
out

is

of

;

the

envious

:

hast spoken

envy.

excellently,

Let Zimon next

and without

follow.

The Thirty-Sixth Dictum,

Afflontus,* the Philosopher, saith:
I notify to you all, O ye investigators
of this Art, that unless

substances at the

ye sublime the

commencement by

cooking, without contrition of hands,

whole become water, ye have
not yet found the work. And know
until the

that

ye,

copper

the

was

formerly

by others stone, and,
names vary in every

called sand, but

indeed,

the

regimen.
nature and

Know

The name

that

the

humidity become water,

then a stone,
*

further,

if

in the

ye cause them to be
second recension

is

Assotes.

The Ttirba Philosophorum,

complexionated, and

115

ye are
acquainted with the natures, because
the part which is light and spiritual
well

the top, but that which

to

rises

if

is

thick and heavy remains below in the

Now

vessel.

of

the

which
but

this

the contrition

is

namely,

Philosophers,

is

that

not sublimated sinks down,

that which becomes a spiritual

powder rises to the top of the vessel,
and this is the contrition of decoction,

Know

not of hands.

ye have turned

also, that unless

into

all

powder, ye

have not yet pounded them completely.
Cook them, therefore, successively

become

and
Wherefore Agadaimon*

they

until

powder.

a

•

Agathodaimon

is

converted,

included

among

the makers of

gold in one of the earlier sections of the Byzantine collection.

He

is

quoted by Olympiodorus {On the Sacred Art),

and a short account

of

him

given by the same writer.

is

by some that he was a man ancient among
the most ancient who philosophised in Egypt, by others
that he is a mysterious angel, or that he is the good genius
•*

It is stated

of Egypt," &c.

M.

Egyptian divinity

Berthelot points out that there

who

bore a

Zosimus beheld Agathodaimon
ascended to the third degree.

name

in a vision

An

was an

equivalent to this.

when

his soul

Explanation and Com-

Ii6

The Turba Philosophorum,

saith

Cook the copper

:

come a

be-

it

and impalpable body,

gentle

and impose

until

in its

own

vessel

then

;

sublimate the same six or seven times
until

the water shall descend.

know

that

powder

when the water has become

then

diligently.

made

water

And

has

ground

been

it

But if ye ask, how is the
a powder ? note that the

intention of the Philosophers

is

that the

body before which before it falls into the
water is not water may become water
the said water is mixed with the other
water, and they become one water.
;

It

to

is

unless
into'

be

therefore,

stated,

that

ye turn the thing mentioned
ye shall

water,*

the work.
for the

It

body

is,

to

the flame of the
integrated

and

the water,

when

not attain

therefore,

to

necessary

be so possessed by
that

fire

it

is

dis-

becomes weak with
the water has been

mentary of Agathodaimon upon the Oracle of Orphetu

is

extant in the Greek collection.
*

The second

into water."

recension reads

:

" unless ye turn both

The Turba Philosophorum.

added to the water,
comes water. But

Had

clouds*

whole be-

until the

hearing of

fools,

water, think that this

is

117

water of the

they read our books they

would know that it is permanent water,
which cannot become permanent without

companion, wherewith

its

made

But

one.

this is the

it

is

water which

Water
Good Venom,

Philosophers have called

the

of Gold, the

Igneous,

and that Sand of Many Names
which Hermes ordered to be washed
that the blackness of

so

frequently,

Sun might be removed, which

the

he introduced in the solution of the
body. And know, all ye seekers after

the

ye

spirit,

what ye

our copper without

will

by no means ses
because no foreign

therein,

thing enter unless
fore,

all

the

dismiss

names,
if

ye

for

anyone

it

nor does any-

be pure.

seekers after

multitude

the nature

err,

take this

is,

desire,

enters

thing

ye

unless

that

Art,

this

pure body, that

is

of

Therethis

Art,

obscure

one water

;

he draws nigh to de-

The Turha Philosophorum.

Ii8

and loses his life. Therefore,
one nature, but dismiss what

struction,

keep this
is

foreign.

The Thirty-Seventh Dictum,

BoNELLUS

saith

And

Speak.

:

it

mouth

close

of which

cook with a gentle

and

in

fire

O

ye

all

vessel, the

its

and

carefully,
until

become water

all

:

when mixing

Sons of the Doctrine,
Magnesia, place

he

little

Turba

The

Magnesia.

concerning
answereth

speak a

will

I

:

it

therein

liquefy,

For

!

the heat of the water acting thereupon,
it

becomes water by the

When

will of

God.

ye see that the said water

is

about to become black, ye know that
the

body

already liquefied.

is

Place

and cook for forty
up the moisture
of the vinegar and honey.* But certain
again in

*

There

vessel,

its

days, until

is

drink

it

an exceedingly curious reference to honey

in the Discourse of Synesius.
is

The

from cinnabar, and that which

is

there are

The

still

is

what

obtained

obtained from arsenic,

the Philosopher explains that while

"

question being

the difference between the mercury which

all

mercury

is

one,

a variety of sorts, and he quotes Hermes:

—

white," and " the ray of honey

is

ray of honey

is

The Turba Philosophorum.

persons uncover

119

say, once in each

it,

week, or once in every ten

nights;

in either case, the ultimate perfection

of pure water appears at the end of
days,

forty

for

then

completely

it

absorbs the humour of the decoction.
Therefore, wash the same, and deprive
of

blackness, until, the blackness

its

being removed, the stone becomes dry
to the touch.

Wash

Hence

the envious have

Magnesia with soft
and cook diligently, until it
become earth, and the humour perish.
said

:

the

water,

Then it is called copper.

Subsequently,

pour very sharp vinegar upon it, and
leave it to be soaked therein.
But
this is our copper, which the Philobe
sophers have ordained should
washed with permanent water, wherefore they
yellow."

M.

have said
Berthelot

:

Let the venom

explains

honey

that

mercury, which in the special connection
obvious, but

it

does not follow that this

which was invariably attached

As

a

fact,

in later

to

it

is

is

*

signifies

of course

the significance

by the philosophers.

days the term was used to signify the

philosophical dissolvent.
* The
The Greek

following explanation
los,

is

given by

M.

Berthelot,

and Virus, the Latin equivalent, are words

The Turba Philosophorum,

120

be divided into two parts, with one
of which burn up the body, and with
the other putrefy. And know, all ye
seekers after

whole

and

work

that

the

does

not

Science,

this

regimen

take place except by water, wherefore,

they say that the thing which ye seek
is one, and, unless that which improves
it

be present

in the said thing,

what ye

look for shall in no wise take place.
Therefore,

behoves you to add those

it

things which are needful, that ye

may

thereby obtain that which you purpose.

The Turba answereth :
excellently,

O

Thou

Bonellus

has spoken

If

!

please

it

thee, therefore, finish that which thou
art saying

time.

;

But

otherwise repeat
he

:

Shall

these and like things

it

a second

indeed repeat

I

?

O

all

ye

in-

which hadexceedingly diverse meaning among the ancients.

The

Virus, according to Pliny,

meant

specific virtues of bodies, such

ivory,

and sandarac

;

certain properties or

as the odour of copper,

the medical action of calx of gold

;

the magnetic virtue communicated to iron by the magnet."

Hence
or

if

the term signified the power and not the operation,

the operation, then this in

healing or hurting.

oxyde

of metals.

all

its

phases, whether of

los also signified in a special

way

the

The Turha Philosophorum.
vestigators

copper
water

;

of

place with the

in the vessel;

purify from

all

first

cook

our

take

Art,

this

131

part of the

for forty days;

uncleanliness ; cook fur-

days be accomplished, and
become a stone having no moisture.

ther until
it

its

Then cook until nothing remains

except

This done, cleanse seven times,
wash with water, and when the water
is used up leave it to putrefy in its
faeces.*

vessel, so long as

may seem

desirable

But the envious
called this composition when it is turned
your purpose.

to

blackness

into

that

lohich is

sufficiently

and have said Rule the same
But that
with vinegar and nitre.
which remained when it had been
whitened they called sufficiently white,
and ordained that it should be ruled
Again, when
with permanent water.
black,

•

in

:

The whole mystery

is in

the scoriae," says Zosimus,

The Diversity of Burnt Copper, and though the remark

has a particular application,

it

was

the nature of a general axiom.
fact, the

also with alchemists of

So Olympiodorus

negative body par excellence, that which

is

:

" In

called

black lead, that which the Egyptian prophets desired to

know, that which the oracles of the demons have revealed,
all

these are the scoriae and cinders of Mary."

;

The Turba Philosophorum,

122

same

they called the

they ordained that
with water and

until

fire

Turba

The

red.

sufficiently

red,

should be ruled

it

became

it

answereth

Show

:

forth unto posterity what they intended
by these things. And he : They called
it Ixir satisy by reason of the variation

of

its

In the work, however,

colours.

there

is

neither variety,

nor opposition of
necessary

only

multiplicity,

substances

make

to

it

;

the

is

black

copper white and then red.

However,
the truth-speaking Philosophers had no

other intention than that of liquefying,

pounding, and cooking Ixir until the
stone should become like unto marble
in

its

splendour.

envious again

said

Accordingly,
:

the

Cook the same

with vapour until the stone becomes
coruscating by reason of

But when ye

see

it

its brilliancy.

thus,

it is,

indeed,

most great Arcanum. Notwithpound and wash
it seven times with permanent water
finally, again pound and congeal in its
the

Effistus saith : Thou hast spoken
most excellently, O Bonellus, and I
bear witness to all thy words
The
Turba saith : Tell us if there be any
!

service in the speech of Bonellus, so

that those initiated in this disposition

may be more bold and certain. Effistus
saith:

Consider,

all

ye investigators

how Hermes, chief of the
Philosophers, spoke and demonstrated
when he wished to mix the natures.
Take, he tells us, the stone of gold^
combine with humour which is permanent water, set in its vessel,
of this Art,

over a gentle

t

fire

until

liquefaction

Otherwise, " the body and soul which are in the

vessel shall quickly perish."

;f

The Turba Philosophorum,

takes

Then

place.

leave

125
until

it

and the sand

the water dries,

and

water are combined, one with another
then let the fire be more intense than
before, until
is

by decoction.*
Consequently, Agadaimon has very properly treated of
cooking, of pounding, and of imbuing,
*

The Greek

equivalent of Decoction identifies the

process with that cooking which

alchemical experiments.

In the

is

so often ordained in all

New

Light of Arnoldus

de Villa Nova three grades of the operation are described,
together with the special furnaces and appliances required.

In the

first

second, white

accompanied
t

grade, the matter becomes
;

in

and

in

the third, red.

black

The

;

in

the

description

is

each case by a citation from the Turba.

The second

recension

substitutes:

"for which

cause there must be frequent pounding and imbu'ng."

The Turba Philosophorum.

126

Yet I direct you not to pour
on the whole of the water at one time,
lest the Ixir be submerged, but pour it
in gradually, pound and dessicate, and
ethelia.

do this several times until the water
be exhausted. Now concerning this
the envious have said
Leave the
water when it has all been poured in^
and it will sink to the bottom. But
:

their intention is this, that while the

humour

drying,

is

and when

been turned into powder, leave
glass vessel

forty

for

days,

it

has

in its

it

until

it

passes through various colours, which
the Philosophers have described.
this

By

method of cooking the bodies put

on their spirits and spiritual tinctures,
and become warm.* The Turba answereth

O

:

Thou

Effistus,

Truly art

hast given light to us,

and hast done

excellently

thou cleared from

!

envy;

wherefore, let one of you others speak
as he pleases.

*

The second

spirits,

and the

recension

spirits are

made

reads
hot,

:

" bodies become

and they tinge."

—

—
The Turba Philosophorum,

127

The Thirty-Ninth Dictum,

Bacsen saith ;* O all ye seekers after
this Art, ye can reach no useful result
without a patient, laborious,f and
solicitous

persevering

soul,

and continuous regimen.

who

fore,

this

is

may

who

persevere in

willing to

and would enjoy the
upon it, but he

disposition,

result,

courage,

He, there-

enter

desires

learn over

to

must not have recourse

speedily,

to our books,

they impose great labour before

for

they are read in their higher sense,
once,

twice,

or

Therefore,

thrice.

Master saith: Whosoever bends
back
over the study of our

the
his

books, devoting
•

The

speaker

in

his

leisure

second

the

thereto,

recension

is

called

Admion.
t

The

like exhortation is

pensable in our magistery.
part in this magistery."
again, " It

is

Haste, indeed,

Know

it

is

in

the

ot the devil's

Rosary of the Philosophers.

impossible for this to be

unless he learns

master.

met with everywhere

" Patience and delay are indis-

literature of the adepts.

known by

And

the seeker

from God, or from the instruction ot a

also that the

way

is

very long

;

therefore

are patience and delay needful in this our magistery."
Ibid,

;

The Turba Philosophorum,

128

not occupied with vain thoughts,

is

but fears God, and shall reign in the

Kingdom without

he

until

fail

die.*

For what ye seek is not of small price.
unto you who seek the very great
and compensating treasure of God!

Woe

Know

ye

not

that

for

the

smallest

men

purpose in the world, earthly

will

themselves to death, and what,

give

therefore, ought

they

to

do

this

for

most excellent and almost impossible
offering

than

?

Now,

the regimen

is

perceived by reason, except

is

through divine

inspiration.

The

God has always been

fear of

once

I

met with a person who was
*

greater

as

The

essential to the success of the true alchemist.

planation

is

The Greek

" Abide at thine

:

awe and wonder

to early experi-

alchemists regarded no operation as

possible without the

says

ex-

to be sought in the fact that the operations of

nature were a region of

ment.

well

regarded as

Zosimus

divine concurrence, and

own

fireside

acknowledging but one

God and one Art do not deviate in search of another God
for God will come to thee, He who is present everywhere.
;

.

.

.

.

Rest thy body, and hush thy passions

governing thyself, thou shalt

call

Being, and the Divine Being will

When

thou shalt

the only

God

attain truth

know

come

to thee.

thyself, then shalt thou

existing in thee

;

so,

;

unto thee the Divine
.

know

.

.

also

and acting thus thou shalt

and nature, rejecting matter with contempt."

The Turha Philosophorum,

acquainted
I

with

the

129

elements

as

when he proceeded

myself, but

to

rule this disposition, he attained not to

the joy thereof by reason of his sadness

and ignorance

in ruling,

and excessive

eagerness, desire, and haste concern-

Woe

ing the purpose.

of the Doctrine

!

unto you, sons

For one who

plants

trees does not look for fruit, save in

due season

he also who sows seeds

;

does not expect to reap, except at

How,

harvest time.

then, should ye

when ye

desire to attain this offering

have read but a single book, or have
adventured only the

But the

first

have

Philosophers

stated that the truth

discerned

except

regimen

is

after

?

plainly

not

to

be

and

error,

nothing creates greater pain at heart

than

error

in

this

Art,

while

each

imagines that he has almost the whole
world, and yet finds nothing in his

Woe

Understand
the dictum of the Philosopher, and
how he divided the work when he
hands.

said

—pound,

unto you

cook,

!

reiterate,

and be
K

The Turba Philosophorum,

130

But when thus he divided the work, he signified commingthou not weary.
ling,

cooking,

assimilating,

roasting,

heating, whitening, pounding, cooking

EtheHa, making rust or redness, and
tingeing.

Here, therefore, are there

many names, and yet there is one
regimen. And if men knew that one
decoction and one

contrition would
them, they would not so often
repeat their words, as they have done,

suffice

mixed body may
pounded and cooked diligently,
have admonished you not to be weary
thereof.
Having darkened the matter
to you with their words, it suffices me
to speak in this manner.
It is needful

and

in order that the

be

to complexionate the

then cook

many

venom

times,

rightly,

and do not

grow tired of the decoction. Imbue
and cook it until it shall become as I
have ordained that it should be ruled
by you namely, impalpable spirits,
and until ye perceive that the Ixir is
clad in the garment of the Kingdom.
For when ye behold the Ixir turned into

—

!

The Turba Philosophorum,

131

Tyrian colour,* then have ye found
that which the Philosophers discovered
before you.i

If

ye understand

words (and although
yet

there

is

life

my words be

dead,

therein for those

understand themselves), they

my
who

will forth-

with explain any ambiguity occurring

Read, therefore, repeatedly,
dead speech, but that

herein.

for reading is a

which
is

is

uttered with the lips the
speech.

living

same

Hence we have

ordered you to read frequently, and,

moreover, ponder diligently over the

we have

things which

narrated.

The Fortieth Dictum.

Jargus

saith

:

Thou

hast

left

a part of thy discourse,

And
in

Do

he:

O

obscure

Bacsen

thou, therefore, Jargus,

thy clemency shew forth the same
•

Latin

alchemists

made use

ot the

symbolism of

Tyrian dye when describing the Red state of the Magistery.

The Kenckel,

previously referred to,

is

apparently an

Eastern term designating the Crustacea from the shells
of which the dye was anciently obtained.
" then shall ye comt The second recension reads
:

prehend the sayings of the Philosophers.'*

The Turba Philosophorum.

132

And

he answereth

:

The copper

thou hast before spoken
nor

is it

is

not copper,

the tin of the vulgar

true work

(or

of which

;

it is

our

body) which must be

combined with the body of Magnesia,
it may be cooked and pounded

that

without wearying until the stone

is

made.
Afterwards, that stone must
be pounded in its vessel with the water
of nitre, and, subsequently, placed in
liquefaction until

it is

destroyed.

ye investigators of this

all

art,

But,
it

is

necessary to have a water by which
the more you cook, so

you

sprinkle,*

until

much

the more

the said copper

which is the foundation of our work.
Cook, therefore, and
pound with Egyptian vinegar.
shall put

on

rust,

The Forty-First Dictum.

Z1MON+
uttered,
•

Whatsoever thou hast
Jargos, is true, yet I do

saith

O

The second

:

recension reads

:

"

a water which becomes inspissated

It is

in

necessary to use

proportion as

cooked."

fin

the second recension the

name

is

Cadmon.

it is

The Turba Philosophorum,

not see that the whole

spoken

Then

concerning
he

opinion

ZiMON
that

I

rotundum.*
thine

therefore,

concerning
saith-'

Turba hath

the

Speak,

:

133

O

it,

notify

Zimon

!

posterity

to

rotundum turns into four
and is derived out of

the

elements,

one thing. +

The Turba answereth

Inasmuch as

:

thou art speaking, explain
generations

And

he

the

method

Willingly

:

:

it

Permanent Water three
let them be mixed and
they be thickened and
stone, concerning which
have said

:

but

Magnesia
*

Take one
three

then

;

be understood of the Stone.
**

parts

;

cooked

then
until

become one
the envious

part of the pure

parts

The term rotundum used

speaks of

necessary

one part of our copper, but of

to take

body,

ruhng.

of
is

future

for

of copper of

commingle
in this curious

with

manner

is

to

The Scala Philosophorum

our perfect tyriac and rotund stone," the four

elements being concordantly exalted in the quality of the
temperate stone.
t

There

is

a variation in the second recension

:

"

I

signify to future generations that the rotundum which con-

verts copper into four

is

from one thing."

;

^^^ Turba Philosophorum,

134

earth

what

is

until

it

mixed

vinegar,

rectified
of

;

male

with

the vessel,

close

observe

and cook continuously
becomes earth.

in

it,

The Forty-Second Dictum,

AscANius saith : Too much talking, O
all ye Sons of the Doctrine, leads this
subject further into error

ye read

in the

that Nature

overcomes

!

But when

books of the Philosophers

one only, and that she

is

all

things

Know

:

that they

are one thing and one composite.

Do

ye not see that the complexion of a
man is formed out of a soul and body
thus,

must ye

also,

conjoin

these,

because the Philosophers, when they
prepared the matters and conjoined
spouses mutually in love with

each

ascended

from

behold

other,

there

The

them a golden water!
answereth
of

the

turn

unto

biguous

and

:

When

first

hast

thou wast treating

work,

the

Turba

lo

second
thou

how obscure

!

!

thou

didst

How am-

made thy book,
are

thy

words

!

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

Then

he

Turba

will

perform

the

first

I

:

position

of

answereth

up war

Stir

Do

:

the

dis-

The

work.

And

this.

between

quicksilver, until they

135

copper

he

and

go to destruction

and are corrupted, because when the
copper

conceives

coagulates

it,

the

quicksilver

but when the quicksilver

conceives the copper, the copper

congealed into earth
fore,

it

;

is

up, there-

stir

a fight between them

;

destroy

it becomes
But conjoin the male to
the female, which are vapour* and
quicksilver, until the male and the
female become Ethel, for he who
changes them into spirit by means

the body of the copper until

a powder.

*

The

matter of

Latin alchemists regarded vapour as the
all

things,

and

in

a special

way

it

was the

first

First

Matter of the Philosophers. The Rosary of the Philoso" The first matter of bodies is not the

phers observes

mercury

of

vapour.

The

:

the vulgar, but

mineral stone

is

is

an unctuous and humid

made from

the metallic body from the unctuous.

the humid, and

It is

needful that

bodies should be converted into such an unctuous vapour,

and they are destroyed, brought to nothing, and mortified
in the conversion,

and

white and red water."

this is

But

accomplished by means of our
this

unctuous vapour was the

mercury of the philosophers and wise men.

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

136

makes them red,
tinges every body, because, when by
diligent cooking ye pound the body,
ye extract a pure, spiritual, and subof Ethel, and next

lime

therefore,

And

that body.

tinges

The Turba answereth

every body.
Inform,

which

therefrom,

soul

what

posterity
he

It

:

which

sulphureous

thing*

by the names

of all bodies.

is

a natural

is

called

is

The Forty-Third Dictum,

Dardaris

saith:

Ye have

frequently

treated of the regimen, and have intro-

duced the conj unction, + yet

I

proclaim

to posterity that they cannot extract

now hidden

by Ethelia,
by which bodies become not bodies
through continual cooking, and by subthe

soul except

Know

limation of Ethelia.
quicksilver

is fiery,

more than does
•

The second

concerning

is

that

burning every body

fire,

recension reads

which much

also

also mortifying
:

found

" sulphur of nature,"
in

later

alchemical

writers.
t

According to the second recension

:

"much has been

said of the regimen but of the conjunction little."

The Turba Philosophorum.

137

and that every body which is
mingled with it is ground and dehvered
>odies,

When,

over to be destroyed.

there-

ye have dihgently pounded the

fore,

and

bodies,

have

them as

exalted

required, therefrom

produced that

is

Ethel nature, and a colour which

is

tingeing* and not volatile,

the copper which the

not tinge until

it is

and it tinges
Turba said did

tinged, because that

which is tinged tinges. Know also that
the body of the copper is ruled by
Magnesia, and that quicksilver is four
bodies, also that the matter has no
being except by humidity, because it
is

the water of sulphur,

for sulphurs

The

are contained in sulphurs.
saith:

O

Dardaris,

what sulphurs are
are

souls

which

inform

And

!

are

he

Turba

posterity
:

Sulphurs

hidden

in

four

bodies, and, extracted by themselves,

do

contain

one

another,

naturally conjoined.

which

is

For

if

and

are

ye rule that

hidden in the belly of sulphur

with water, and cleanse well that which
•Otherwise

:

" not fleeing from the

fire."

t

The Turba Philosophorum.

138
is

hidden, then nature rejoices, meeting

with nature, and water similarly with
equal.

Know

ye also that the four

And

bodies are not tinged but tinge.*

Turba

the

Why

:

its

dost thou not say

like the ancients that

when they

And

tinged, they tinge ?

he

I

:

are

state

that the four coins of the vulgar popuare not tinged,

lace

copper,
tinged,

when

and
it

but they tinge

copper

that
the

tinges

coins

of

is

the

populace.
The Forty-Fourth Dictum,

MoYSES

saith

:

This one thing of which

thou hast told us,

have

Philosophers

O

Dardaris, the

by

called

many

names, sometimes by two and sometimes

by three names

Name

it,

Dardaris answereth

!

therefore,

setting aside envy.
is

that which
*

is

fiery,

posterity,

for

And

he

:

:

The one

the two

is

the

According to the second recension, "they tinge a

fifth."

t According to the

tinged, " except copper,

vulgar."

second recension, they are not

which then tinges the coins of the

The Turba Philosophorum,

body composed

in

it,

139

the three

the

is

water of sulphur, with which also

it

is

washed and ruled until it be perfected.
Do ye not see what the Philosopher
affirms, that the quicksilver which
gold

tinges

out

quicksilver

is

of

Dardaris answereth : What
dost thou mean by this ?
For the
Philosopher says
sometimes from
Cambar and sometimes from Orpi-

Cambar ?

:

And

ment.

he: Quicksilver of

orpiment

is

Cambar

is

sulphur ascending from the mixed*

of Magnesia, but quicksilver

Ye must,

composite.

with

thick thing

that

putrefy,

and

diligently

fiery

pound

spirit

be produced, which

that

other spirit

tincture which

is

;

mix
venom,

therefore,

then

is
is

until

a

hidden

in

made

desired of you

the

all.

The Forty-Fifth Dictum,

But Plato

O

Masters,
•

Some

the passage.

times

it is

behoves you

all,

when those bodies

are

saith

:

It

abbreviations in the printed editions obscure

According to the second recension

Cambar and sometimes

it is

:

*'

Some-

Orpiment, but here

The Turba Philosophorum.

140

being

dissolved,

take

to

care

lest

they be burnt up, as also to wash them
with sea water, until

all their

turned into sweetness,

salt

be

clarifies, tinges,

becomes tincture of copper, and then
goes off in flight
Because it was
necessary that one should become
tingeing, and that the other should
!

be tinged,

for the spirit being separ-

ated from the body and hidden in the
other

both

spirit,

Therefore

the

become

Wise have

volatile.

said

that

the gate of flight must not be open-

ed for that which would flee, (or that
which does not flee),* by whose flight
death is occasioned, for by the conversion of the sulphureous thing into

a

spirit like

itself,

either

becomes

they are

made

aeriform

unto

volatile, since

But
the Philosophers seeing that which was
spirits

it

is

prone to ascend in the

needful to understand that

air.

Quicksilver

Cambar

is

Magnesia," &c.
• The reading of the second recension
namely, " Close the door on the volatile,

flight."

is

lest

clearer,
it

take

:

The Turba Philosophorum,

not

made

volatile

volatile

141

with the

a body like
and put them

volatiles, iterated these to

the

to

non-volatiles,

which they could not

into that from

escape.*

They

body

unto the bodies from which

like

the

sopher

statement

one

is

concealed

spirit.

Know

humid

spirits is

is

the

Philo-

tingeing

agent

to

tincture,

spirit

is

of

the

that

and that which

made

a

to

extracted,

same were
for

them

and
the
then digested.
But as

were

they

iterated

be tinged are
it

humid

another

in

a

to

refers

that one of the

also

but the other

cold,

and although the cold humid
not adapted to the warm humid,

hot,

nevertheless

they

are

made

one.

we prefer these two bodies,
because by them we rule the whole

Therefore,

work, namely, bodies by not-bodies,
until

incorporeals

steadfast in the
*
*'

fire,

become

bodies,

because they are

In the second recension the passage reads thus

Concerning these the Philosophers also said

not with flying things, and yet were they

made

:

They

fled

flying."

The Turba Philosophorum.

142

conjoined with volatiles, which

is

not

possible in any body, these excepted.

For

spirits in

but

fugitives

every wise avoid bodies,
are

restrained

Incorporeals,

corporeals.

similarly flee from bodies

;

by

in-

therefore,

those, con-

sequently, which do not flee are better

and more precious than all bodies.
These things, therefore, being done,
take those which are not volatile and
wash the body with the
join them
;

incorporeal
ceives

a

the

until

non-volatile

incorporeal

body

;

convert

the earth into water, water into
fire

into air,

and conceal the

re-

fire in

fire,

the

depths of the water, but the earth in
the belly of the

air,

mingling the hot

with the humid, and the cold with the
dry.

comes

Know,

also,

that

Nature over-

Nature

Nature,

rejoices

in

Nature, Nature contains Nature.
The Forty-Sixth Dictum,

Attamus

saith

:

It is to

be noted that

the whole assembly of the Philosophers

have

frequently

treated

concerning

The Turba Philosophorum,

Rubigo, however,

Rubigo,*

143

is

a

ficti-

and not a true name. The Turba
answereth: Name, therefore, Rubigo by
its true name, for by this it is not
calumniated. And he Rubigo is accordtious

:

ing to the work, because

Turba

The

alone.

from gold

it is

answereth

:

Why,

then, have the Philosophers referred
to the leech

water

is

hidden

the leech

in

is

answereth

:

it

Because

sulphureous gold as

in

water; rubigo, there-

rubefaction in the second work,

fore, is

but to

He

?

make

rubigo

former work,

in

is

to whiten in the

which the Philoso-

phers ordained that the flower of gold

should be taken and a proportion of
gold equally.
The Forty-Seventh Dictum.

MuNDUS
treated
*

While

of metals,
for the

saith:

Thou

sufficiently

it

this

of

hast already

Rubigo,

O

term properly signifies the rust or oxide

was used

in

many

redness of rust associated

senses by the alchemists,
it

in their idea

with other

forms of red matter, and rust philosophical became a part
of the Great Mystery.

The oxydes

of iron, the

oxydes of

lead, sulphate of mercury, sulphate of arsenic, sulphate of

1^4

^^^^

Turba Philosophorum.

Attamus
I will speak, therefore, of
venom, and will instruct future genera!

tions

that

venom

because subtle

spirits

into a tenuous spirit,

body and burned

have made it
have tinged the

with venom, which

it

venom the Philosopher
tinge every body.
But
Philosophers

body,

a

not

is

thought

asserts

will

the Ancient

who

he

that

turned gold into venom had arrived at
the purpose, but he
profiteth

this

unto you,

all

who can do

not

Now

say

nothing.

I

ye Sons of the Doctrine,

that unless ye reduce the thing by fire
until those things

ye

effect

ascend

nought.

like

a

spirit,

This, therefore,

is

a

and a ponderous
smoke,* which when it enters the body
spirit

avoiding the

fire

antimony, were all more or
names of rubigo, minium, &c.
* It

all

is

confounded under the

not, perhaps, surprising that

things the mystery of the

concern

less

itself

fire

what was above

and the furnace, should

considerably with the smoke in which

often ended, and thus in various stages of

its

it

so

history we have

alchemy discoursing of that specially philosophical smoke

which

is

identical with scorias,

and hence on the authority

of the Greeks involves the whole art

smoke, identical with mercury

;

;

we have

citrine

also white

smoke, identical

The Turha Philosophonim.

145

and makes the
body rejoice.* The Philosophers have
Take a black and conjoining
all said
therewith break up the bodies
spirit
and torture them till they be altered.

penetrates

entirely,

it

:

;

The Forty-Eighth Dictum.

Pythagoras saith
unto all you seekers
:

We

must

affirm

after this Art that

the Philosophers have treated of con-

junction

ways.

continuation) in various

(or

But

constrain

quicksilver

Magnesia,

or

Spume

the

enjoin upon you to

I

body

the

body

the

make
of

Kuhul, or

of Luna, or incombustible

roasted

alum

sulphur,

or

which

is

out of apples, as ye know.

But

there was any singular regimen

if

calx,

or

any of these, a Philosopher would
Understand,
not say so, as ye know.
for

with yellow sulphur

;

red smoke, which

is

orpiment; smoke

of extreme subtlety, of which the Latin Geber discourses;

and

lastly the

ponderous smoke of the

Many

Turha.

others might be named, but these varieties are sufficient to

show

that

smoke was

the votaries ot
*

•'

Otherwise

as important to the alchemists as to

my Lady
:

Nicotine."

"the nature

rejoices therein."

L

The Turba Philosophorum.

146

and alum

therefore, that sulphur, calx,

which

is

from apples, and Kuhul, are

nothing else but water of sulphur.

all

Know

ye also that Magnesia, being

mixed with quicksilver and sulphur,
they pursue one another. Hence you
must not dismiss that Magnesia
without the quicksilver, for when

composed

it

is

an exceeding
strong composition, which is one of the
called

is

it

ten regimens established by the Philo-

Know,

sophers.

when

that

also,

Magnesia is whitened with quicksilver,
you must congeal white water therein,
but when it is reddened you must
congeal red water,

for,

as the Philoso-

phers have observed in their books,
the regimen

the

and
•

first

is

congelation

lead.

Accordingly,

not one.*
is

of

tin,

But the second

copper,
is

com-

" There are other denominations," says Synesius in

his letter to Dioscorus.

" Thus whitening

and yellowing an igneous regeneration
(substances)

calcine

generate themselves.

them under
sometimes

whether

themselves, and

;

is

for

a calcination,

some of these

(other

some)

several names,

and sometimes

in the singular,

in the plural person, in order to test us

we

re-

But the Philosopher has designated

are intelligent."

and see

The Turba Philosophorum.

147

Some,

posed with water of sulphur.*

however, reading this book, think that

composition can be bought.

the

It

must be known for certain that nothing
the work can be bought, and that

of

the science of this Art

is

nothing else

and the sublimation of

than vapour

of

water, with the conjunction, also,
quicksilver in the

body of Magnesia f
;

but, heretofore, the Philosophers have

demonstrated

impure

in their

water

books that the

sulphur

of

is

sulphur only, and no sulphur

is

from
pro-

duced without the water of its calx,
and of quicksilver, and of sulphur.
The Forty-Ninth Dictum,

Belus

saith

:

O

all

ye Philosophers,

ye have not dealt sparingly concerning
composition and contact, but compoand congelation are
sition, contact,
one thing

!

with sulphur and the water thereof."

*

Or,

t

The second

*'

Take, therefore, a part
recension reads

vapour and water, while the regimen
limation of quicksilver and

magnesia."

its

" It

:

is

is

nothing but

nothing but the sub-

union with the body of

The Turba Philosophorum,

148

from the one composition and a part
out of ferment of gold/' and on these

impose pure water of sulphur. This,
then, is the potent (or revealed) arcanum

Pythagoras

which tinges every body.
answereth
called

:

why

Belus,

not shown

O

its

work

from the ancients
Therefore

And he: In our
we have found

?

Master,

the same which

have

thou hast received

And Pythagoras

!

obscurities which
:

are in

Willingly,

you
remove any
any books.

O

Master

!

It

is

noted that pure water which

be

to
is

he

:

assembled

I

together, that you might

And

hast thou

a potent arcanum, yet hast

it

books,

O

from sulphur

not composed of

is

sulphur alone, but

composed

is

of

several things, for the one sulphur is

made
*

out of several sulphurs. t

The

ancient Latin treatise which passes as the work

of Morien, says sententiously

:

"

The ferment

gold, even as the ferment of bread

ment

is

How,

reproduced

literally

is

bread."

of gold

The

is

state-

by the Rosary of the Philo-

sophers.
t According to

water which

is

the

second recension:

from sulphur

is

"the clean

not derived from sulphur

!

The Turha Philosopliorum.

O

149

compose
these things that they may become

therefore,

Master, shall

And

one ?
which

he

:

Mix,

strives with

O

the

I

Belus, that

fire

with that

which does not strive, for things
which are conjoined in a fire suitable
to the same contend, because the
warm venoms of the physician are
cooked in a gentle, incomburent fire !*
Surely ye perceive what the Philosophers have stated concerning decoction,
that a

little

many

sulphur burns

strong

and the humour which remains
is called humid pitch, balsam of gum,
and other like things. Therefore our
things,

Philosophers

the

to

like

physicians

the

of

made

notwithstanding that

physicians,
tests

are

are

the

more

intense than those of the Philosophers.

TuRBA

The

answer eth

:

I

wish,

O

Belus, that you would also shew the
disposition

alone, but

is

of

this

potent arcanum

composed of several things which make up

one sulphur."
*

For this last sentence the second recension sub" and friendship is made constant."

stitutes

:

The Ttirba Philosophorum,

150

And

he

proclaim to future genera-

I

:

arcanum proceeds from

tions that this

two

compositions,

that

But

sulphur and magnesia.

and

reduced

is

of Boletus

and

fungus),

into

it

water,

it

a species of

(z.^.,

it

gold.

has been reduced

they

quicksilver,

of water;

after

the thickness of

When, however,

say,

conjoined into one,

the Philosophers have called

spume

to

is

call

it

when

sulphur also,

tains sulphur, they term a fiery

sulphur
con-

it

venom,

a potent (or open) arcanum

because

it is

which

ascends

from

those

things

ye know.
The Fiftieth Dictum.

Pandolphus

saith

describe

the

dost
•

The

Greek term

O Belus, thou

If,

:

sublimation*

which the

alchemists

of

of the

Byzantine collection made use of as the equivalent of sublimation, signified originally

filings, as

us, thus expressing the idea of the

matter.

The same

idea

M. Berthelot informs

extreme attenuation of

was attached

later

on by the Latin

adepts to their term alcoolisation, "which signifies reduction to the condition of

an impalpable powder.

des Anciens Alchimistes Grecs, Int., 210).
of sublimation

tion

was

called stalagma,

by vapourisation or

filtration.

(Collection

Another species

which meant
{lb., 211.)

distilla'

!

The Turba Philosophorum.

sulphur
wilt

generations,

future

for

151

accomplish an

excellent

thou

thing

Do thou show it forth,
therefore, O Pandolphus! And he: The

And

the

Turba

:

philosophers have ordered that quicksilver

and

should be taken out of Cambar,

albeit

they spoke

these words there

a

is

truly,

ambiguity,

little

the obscurity of which

I

yet in

remove.

will

See then that the quicksilver is sublimed
in tabernacles,

and extract the same

from Cambar, but there

Cambar

in sulphur'

demonstrated

another

is

which Belus hath

to you, for out of

sulphur

mixed with sulphur, many works proWhen the same has been subceed.
limed, there proceeds from the
that quicksilver which

Orpiment,
*

According

is

Zendrio,
to

the

or

second

Cambar

called Ethelia,

Sanderich,+

recension:

"there

is

another sulphur."
t

The reading

Sandarac

is

realgar

in the
;

second recension

in the

Greek MSS.

under the same sign as arsenic.
that

it

M.

is

it

unintelligible.
is

confounded

Berthelot also

tells

us

was confused anciently with minium and cinnabar,

as indeed

is

quite plain from the Lexicon of Rulandus.

same authority reminds us that the name

is

The

applied at the

present day to an entirely different composition, derived

The Turha Philosophorum,

152

Ebsemich,
Chuhul,

Magnesia,

said

that,

men

(for

many

and

Concerning

this,

being
ten

is

Kuhul,

names.

other

philosophers
ruled

by

or

its

have
regi-

the perfection of

all

things), its white nature appears, nor

any shadow therein. Then
the envious* have called it lead from
Ebmich, Magnesia, Marteck, White
there

is

Copper.
has

left its

when truly whitened,
shadow and blackness, it

For,

devoid of

it is

thickened ponderous bodies,

and therewith a clean humid spirit has
ascended, which spirit is tincture.
Accordingly, the wise have said that
copper has a soul and a body. Now,
its soul is spirit, and its body is thick.
Therefore, it behoves you to destroy
the thick body until ye extract a
tingeing spirit from the same.
also,

the

spirit

extracted

Mix,

therefrom

with light sulphur until you, investigators, find your design accomplished.
from colophon, and not known to the ancients under this
designation.
*

or

*'

Throughout the second recension, "Philosophers"

the Wise," are substituted for this term.

The Ttivba Philosophorum,

153

The Fifty-First Dictum,

HoRFOLCos*
nothing,

O

saith

Thou

:

hast narrated

Pandolphus, save the last

body
Thou hast,
therefore, composed an ambiguous description for readers. But if its regimen
regimen of

this

!

were commenced from the beginning,
you would destroy this obscurity. Saith

TuRBA

the

cerning
it

may

Speak,

:

this

to

so

posterity,

And

please you.

con-

therefore,

he

:

as

far

be-

It

hoves you, investigators of this Art,
first

to burn coppert

like

that required in the hatching of

eggs.

For

and

let

a gentle

behoves you to burn

it

humidity

its

in

lest

it

with

be burnt,

spirit

its

fire,

the vessel be closed on

sides, so that its

colour

heat]

[?

all

may

be increased, the body of copper be
destroyed,

and

tingeing

In the second recension the

name

is

be

spirit

which

concerning

extracted,!

•

its

the

Morfoleus.

t Otherwise, " the humidity."
I

is

According to the second recension

:

'•

when

the

increased and the vessel sealed effectually, lest the

of the copper and

its

flying spirit be extracted."

fire

body

Turha Philosophorum.

^^^^

154

envious have

said

Take

:

quicksilver

out of the Flower of Copper, which
also they have called the water of our

copper, a fiery venom, and a substance
extracted from

all things, which further
have
termed
they
Ethelia, extracted

many

out of

have

when

that

said

Again, some

things.*

become

one,

bodies,

but not-bodies bodies.

know,

all

bodies

things

all

are

made

not-

And

ye investigators of this Art,

body
spirit with which

that every

without doubt
spiritual thing,

is

dissolved with the

it is

mixed, with which

becomes a similar
and that every spirit

it

which has a tingeing colour of

spirits,

and is constant against
and coloured by bodies.

altered

be the

name

of

fire, is

Him who

Blessed then

hath inspired

the Wise with the idea of turning a

body

into a spirit having strength

colour,

and

unalterable and incorruptible,

so that what formerly was volatile sul-

phur
*

is

now made sulphur

Otherwise

:

not-volatile,

" which flower of copper they have called

our water, and fiery

venom

extracted from iron."

r

The Turba Philosophorum.

Know, also, all ye
that he who is able to

and incombustible
sons of learning,

make your

155

!

red by the

fugitive spirit

body mixed with it, and then from that
body and that spirit can extract the
tenuous nature hidden in

by a most

thereof,

tinges every body,
in

Know

regimen,

subtle

only he

belly

patient

is

tedium of extracting.

spite of the

Wherefore

if

the

the

that out

envious

copper,

of

by
humectated
is
pounded
thereof,
is

have

after

:

it

moisture

the
in

said

its

water,

and is
a body having Ethelia, ye will find that
which is suitable as a tincture for anyWherefore the envious have
thing.
said
Things that
are
diligently
pounded in the fire, with sublimation
of the Ethelia, become fixed tinctures.
For whatsoever words ye find in any
man's book signify quicksilver, which
we call water of sulphur,* which also
cooked in sulphur,

if

ye extract

:

*

Water

of sulphur occurs

recipe cited from

and

Mary

in the Detailed

in

among

one of the

the ingredients of a

treatises of

Zosimus,

Exposition of the Work, the following

!

The Turba Philosophorum.

156

we sometimes say
and copulated

lead and copper

is

coin.

The Fifty-Second Dictum.

IxuMDRUS
most

saiih

You

:

excellently,

O

will

have treated
con-

Horfolcus,

cerning the regimen of copper and the

humid

And

therewith.

you

provided

spirit,

proceed

he: Perfect, therefore,

what I have omitted, O Ixumdrus
IxuMDRUS saith You must know that
this Ethelia* which you have previously
mentioned and notified, which also the
envious have called by many names,
doth whiten, and tinge when it is
:

whitened

;

then truly the Philosophers

have called
because

it

process occurs
calx

is

:

it

is

the

a certain natural thing,

" Water of sulphur obtained by means of

manfactured

in this

manner

waters in the catalogue (which

from

its

Flower of Gold,

it is

Having mixed

:

all

the

impossible to extricate

context and place in the compass of a footnote),

taking equal parts, add white earths until the

becomes very white.

underneath, and receive what distils."

"pure" water

compound

Place in a mortar, kindle a

of sulphur

which

is

There

is

fire

also a

obtained somewhat

differently.
•

The second

recension reads

:

" Water of Ethelia.''

;

The Turha Philosophorum.

Do you

what

remember

not

157

the

Philosophers have said, that before

it

arrives at this terminus, copper does

But when

not tinge ?*
tinges,

tinged

is

it

it

because quicksilver tinges when

combined with its tincture. But
when it is mixed with those ten things
which the Philosophers have denominated fermented urines, then have
it is

they called

all

these things Multiplica-

But some have termed their
mixed bodies Corsufle and Gum of
Gold.i Therefore, those names which

tion.

are found in the books of the Philo*

According to the second recension

reaches this point,
t

That

is

Democritus

:

is

parts

reproduction here), 2 parts

:

i

part

Minium

;

(it

is

You

;

of

(Coral

of

The body
coral."

Gold)."

"Here

part

cook over a

;

will find a potent

having the colour of cinnabar,

Democritus, says:

i

combine with the humour of

coral,

is

And
how he

is

fire

substance,

or minium.

great wonder, this indescribable marvel,
corallos

Finest Earth of

Pontus,

too complicated for

the Sulphur (another abstruse recipe)
regulated.

it

from a ricipe of Pseudo-

" Minera of Silver,

preparation given previously

carefully

" Before

Chrysocorallos of the Greek

following

Chios, or Ochre, 2

:

called copper."

say, the

to

The

alchemists.

it is

This

called Chryso-

Synesius,

quoting

expresses himself:

(metal) of magnesia, alone (produces) Chryso-

The Turba Philosophorum,

158

and are thought superfluous
and vain, are true and yet are fictitious,

sophers,

because

they

one

are

one

thing,

and one way. This is the
quicksilver which is indeed extracted

opinion,

from

all

things,* out of which all things

which

produced,

are

water

that

the

And know ye

copper.
silver,

destroys

also

when

it

is

pure

is

shade

of

that this quick-

whitened, becomes a

sulphur which contains sulphur, and

a venom that has a

marble

;

brilliance

is

like

this the envious call Ethelia,

orpiment and sandarac, out of which a

and pure spirit ascends with a
mild fire, and the whole pure flower is
becomes
sublimated, which
flower
tincture

wholly quicksilver.

It is,

therefore, a

most great arcanum which the Philosophers have thus described, because
sulphur alone whitens copper.
investigators of this

that
*

Art,

Ye,

O

must know

the said sulphur cannot whiten
The reading ab hominibas

for

ab omnibus

is

substi-

tuted by the second recension several times in this Dictum,

but there can be no doubt that

it is

a printer's error.

!

The Turba Philosophorum.

copper until

it is

And know ye
of

whitened

also that

sulphur

this

therefore,

to

flees

it

it

in the

When,
own thick

escape.

from

its

and

then

behoves you to retain

it

sublimated as a vapour,

wise with quicksilver of
lest

it

its

vanish altogether.

Philosophers

the

work

the habit

is

bodies,

is

159

have

it

own

other-

kind,

Wherefore
said,

that

by sulphurs.
that sulphurs tinge, and

sulphurs are contained

Know,

further,

then are they certain to escape unless
they are united to quicksilver of

own

kind.

Do

not,

therefore,

its

think

and afterwards

that because

it

escapes,

the coin of the Vulgar, for

it is

tinges*

what the Philosophers are seeking

is

the coin of the Philosophers, which,
unless

which

it

is

be mixed with white or red,
quicksilver of its

own

kind,

would doubtless escape. I direct you,
therefore, to mix quicksilver with quicksilver (of its kind)

until together they

become one clean water composed out
*

The second

recension substitutes

' fixes

bodies,"

but both readings are obscure and seemingly corrupt.

The Tiirha Philosophorum,

i6o

This is, therefore, the great
arcanum, the confection of which is
of two.

with

its

own gum

;

it

is

cooked with

and with earth ;
it is made red with mucra and with
vinegar, salt, and nitre,* and with
mutal is turned into rubigo, or by any
flowers in a gentle

fire

of the select tingeing agents existing in

our coin.

The Fifty-Third Dictum.

ExuMENUst
laid

The

saith:

waste the whole

envious have

Art

with

the

multiplicity of names, but the entire

work must be the Art of the Coin.
For the Philosophers have ordered the

make coin-like
same Philosophers
manner of names.

doctors of this art to
gold, which also the

have called by all
The TuRBA answereth:
fore, posterity,
*

M.

O

Inform, there-

Exumenus, concern-

Berthelot explains that the substance referred to

under the terms Nitrum and Natron was really Carbonate
of Soda, and that Nitre or Saltpetre was scarcely known
in antiquity, nor, indeed,

till

the 6th century.

t For this name the second recension
Obsemeganus.

substitutes

r;

The Turba Philosophonim.

i6i

ing a few of these names, that they

may

take warning

have named
whitening

of

pounding
the

into

Ethel,

frequently
coagulating,

the

rubigo,

the art

They

:

Ethelias,

fire,

and

vapour

cooking
turning

in

he

sublimating,

salting,

it

and

washing,

And

!

of

confection

the

water

By

sulphur and coagula.

of

these

all

names is that operation called which
has pounded and whitened copper.
And know ye, that quicksilver is
white to the sight, but when it is
possessed by the smoke of sulphur, it
reddens
and
becomes
Cambar.
Therefore, when quicksilver is cooked
with

its

confections

and

red,

hence

it

is

turned into

Philosopher

the

saith that the nature of lead

Do you

converted.

Philosophers

envy
with

ye

have

pounding and

may

extract

in the vessel,

swiftly

not see that the

spoken

Hence we deal

?

is

in

without

many ways

reiteration,

that

the spirits existing

which the

fire

cease to burn continuously.

did not

But the
M

:
:

The Turba Philosophorum.

1 62

water placed with those things prevents the fire from burning, and it
those

befalls

things

they are possessed

more they are hidden

the

fire,

the

that the more
by the flame of

depths of the water,

in

they

lest

should be injured by the heat of the
fire

in

but

;

them

water receives

and repels the flame of
from them. The Turba answereth

its

fire

the

belly

Unless ye make bodies not-bodies
ye achieve nothing.
But concerning
the sublimation of water the

have

sophers

And know

treated

not

Philo-

a

little.

that unless ye diligently

pound the thing

in

the

fire,

the

does not ascend, but when
does not ascend ye achieve

Ethelia
that

When, however,

nothing.
it

is

an instrument

for the intended

tincture with which ye tinge,

cerning
Sift

Ethelia

and con-

Hermes

saith

the things which ye know;

another
fore,

this

ascends

it

:

Liquefy the things.

Arras saith

:

but

There-

Unless ye pound

the thing diligently in the

fire,

Ethelia

The Titrba Philosophorum.

The Master

does not ascend.

put forth a view which
explain

I

the reasoners.

to

163

shall

hath

now

Know

ye

that a very great wind of the south,

when

it is

stirred up, sublimates clouds

and elevates the vapours of the

TuRBA

The

answereth

And

dealt obscurely.

Thou

:

he

:

I

sea.

hast

will ex-

and the vessel wherein
But I order
is incombustible sulphur.
you to congeal fluxible quicksilver out
of many things, that two may be
made three, and four one, and two
plain the testa,*

one*
The Fifty-Fourth Dictum,

Anaxagoras

Take

saith:

the volatile

burnt thing which lacks a body, and
incorporate

Then

it.

take the ponder-

ous thing, having smoke, and thirsting
*

Two

meanings are given

of Rulandus.

The

is

first

stood metallurgically

the second

;

clay.

Paracelsus uses

own

to signify the skin of

Adamic
same

earth or clay

idea.

to this term in the Lexicon

Bloom, Flower, &c., under-

it

;

it

in

is

man's body.
is

a vessel of baked

an arbitrary fashion of his

Compare the red

probably a variation of the

The Turha Philosophorum.

164

imbibe.

to

Explain,
obscurity

The

Turba

answereth

:

O

Anaxagoras, what is this
which you expound, and

beware of being envious
And he : I
testify to you that this volatile burnt
!

and this other which thirsts, are
which has been conjoined

thing,

Ethelia,

with sulphur.

Therefore, place these

and
cook until the whole becomes Cambar.
Then God will accomplish the arcanum
ye seek.
But I direct you to cook
continuously, and not to grow tired of
a glass vessel over the

in

fire,

repeating the process.

And know ye

that the

this

perfection

the

confection

with

tabula;*

until

it

of

of

water

finally,

able

turn

Rubigo

:

is

of

sulphur

is

cooked

it

becomes Rubigo,

Philosophers have said

work

for

all

He who

the
is

into

golden

venom has already achieved

the de-

to

sired
is

work, but otherwise his labour

vain.

•

According to the second recension

perfection

tabula."

of

sulphur

consists

in

the

:

"

The whole

decoction

of

The Turba Philosophorum.

165

The Fifty -Fifth Dictum.

Zenon* saith

:

Pythagoras hath treated

concerning the water, which the envious

have called by

names.
Finally,
at the end of his book he has treated
all

ferment of gold, ordaining that

of the

thereon

imposed

be

should

clean

water of sulphur, and a small quantity

gum. I am astonished, O all ye
Turba, how the envious have in this
work discoursed of the perfection rather
than the commencement of the same
The Turba answereth Why, therefore,
have you left it to putrefy ? And he
of

its

!

:

:

Thou

hast spoken truly

;

putrefaction

does not take place without the dry

and

humid.

the

putrefy with

humid
the

the

vulgar

Thus

the humid.

the

merely coagulated with the

But out

dry.

of

is

But

of both

work.

is

the beginning

Notwithstanding, the

envious have divided this work into
three parts, asserting that one quickly
flees,

but

the

other

is

fixed

immovable.
*

The name

in the

second recension

is

Pitheon.

and

:

The Turba Philosophorum.

1 66

The Fifty-Sixth Dictum.

CoNSTANS saith: What have you to
do with the treatises of the envious,
for it is necessary that this work should
deal with four things ? They answer
Demonstrate, therefore, what are those
four ? And he : Earth, water, air, and
fire.
Ye have then those four elements
without which nothing is ever generated, nor

anything absolved in the

is

Mix, therefore, the dry with the

Art.

humid, which are

and water,

earth

and cook in the fire and in the air,
whence the spirit and the soul are

And know

dessicated.*

ye that the

tenuous tingeing agent takes

its

power

out of the tenuous part of the earth,
out of the tenuous part

and of the
part of

has

the water,

a tenuous

been dessicated. t

fore,
•

air,

is

the

of the

fire

while out of the tenuous

process

spirit

This, there-

our

of

According to the second recension

:

" The

work,
spirit is

dessiccated in the soul."
t

The second

question

is

and water.

recension merely says that the power in

derived from the tenuous part of the earth,

air,

The Turba Philosophorum,

namely, that everything
into earth

these

may be

parts of

extracted,

because

a body

is

a

are

of

then composed

which

is

thing, and
imposed body of

atmospheric

thereafter tinges the

O

Beware, however,

coins.*

turned

when the tenuous

things

kind

167

ye

all

investigators of this art, lest ye multiply
things, for the envious

and destroyed

have multiplied

you

for

!

They have

also described various regimens that

they might deceive
called

it

(or

;

they have further

have likened

humid with

all

dry with

the dry, by the

all

the

to)

it

the humid, and the

name

of

every stone and metal, gall of animals
of the sea, the winged things of heaven

and

reptiles of the earth.

who would

But do ye

tinge observe that bodies

bodies.
For I say
what the Philosopher said
and truly at the beginning of

are tinged with

you

to

briefly

his book.

In the art of gold

quicksilver from
*

The

Cambar, and

is

the

in coins

reading of the second recension has been partly

substituted in this unintelligible passage.

The Turba Philosophorum.

1 68

is

the quicksilver from the Male.

however,

nothing,

the two

since

look

In

beyond

this,

are

also

quicksilvers

one.
The Fifty-Seventh Dictum.

AcRATUS*

saith

I

:

signify to posterity

make philosophy near to the
Sun and Moon. He, therefore, that
will attain to the truth let him take
the moisture of the Sun and the
Spumet of the Moon.l The Turba
answereth
Why are you made an
adversary to your brethren ? And he
that

I

:

:

I

have spoken nothing but the truth.

But

they

taken.

Take what the Turba hath
And he: I was so intending,
:

yet, if

you are

terity

to

willing,

take a

part

direct pos-

I

of

the coins

which the Philosophers have ordered,
which also Hermes has adapted to
name

*

In the second recension the

t

Otherwise the

X

This one of the two passages which seem to indicate

spirit

;

it is

is

Astratus.

probably a misreading.

any planetary attribution of the metals, but even here it may
be an analogy borrowed from the astronomy of the period
without any real attribution.

mercury and quicksilver
noted.

in

The

distinction

between

the 67th Dictum should be

The Turha Philosophormn.

169

the true tingeing,* and a part of the

copper of
the

Philosophers,

the

same with the

mix

to

and place

coins,

the four bodies in the vessel, the

all

mouth of which must be

carefully

closed, lest the water escape.

Cooking

must proceed

seven days, when

for

the copper, already pounded with the
coins,

found

is

turned

water.

into

Let both be again slowly cooked, and

Then

fear nothing.

the vessel be

let

opened, and a blackness

Repeat

above.

continually

the
the

until

Kuhul, which

is

will

appear

process,

cook

blackness

of

from the blackness

For when
consumed a precious whiteness
appear on them
finally, being

of coins, be consumed.
that
will

is

;

returned

cooked
is

to

until

their

the whole

turned into stone.

they

place,

are

dried and

is

Also repeatedly

and continuously cook that stone born
of copper and coins with a fire
*

According to the second recension

:

*'takea part of

the coins of the Philosophers, which are the coins of

Hermes."

The Turba Philosophorum.

170

sharper

than

stone

destroyed,

is

former,

the

turned into cinder, which
Doctrine,
is

O

Alas,

cinder.

how

the

fore,

ye

precious

produced from

it

!

is

the

and

a precious

sons

of

the

that which

is

Mixing,

with

cinder

until

broken up,

there-

water,

cook

again, until that cinder liquefy there-

and then cook and imbue with
permanent water, until the composition
becomes sweet and mild and red.
Imbue until it becomes humid. Cook
in a still hotter fire, and carefully
close the mouth of the vessel, for by
with,

this

regimen fugitive bodies become

not-fugitive,

spirits

bodies, bodies into

are

connected

spirits

made

are

and both

spirits,

Then

together.

are

bodies having a tingeing

and germinating

soul.

Now

hast

answereth:

turned into

The Turba
thou

notified

Rubigo attaches itself
is washed
off with permanent water.
Then it
is congealed and becomes a body of
magnesia. Finally, it is cooked until

to posterity that

to copper after the blackness

'

The Turba Philosophorum.

171

broken up.

After-

the whole body

is

turned into a

wards

the

cinder

and becomes copper without

volatile

shadow.

its

is

Attrition also truly takes

Concerning,

place.

therefore,

the

work of the Philosophers, what hast
thou

delivered

to

posterity,

seeing

means called
things by their proper names ? And
he
Following your own footsteps, I
hast by no

that thou

:

have discoursed

even

You speak truly,
otherwise we should not

BoNELLUS answereth
for if

you did

as have you.

:

order your sayings to be

written in

our books.
The Fifty-Eighth Dictum,

Balgus*

saith

The whole Turba,

:

O

Acratus, has already spoken, as you

have seen, but a benefactor sometimes
deceives, though his intention

good.

And they Thou
:

is

to

do

speakest truly.

Proceed, therefore, according to thy
opinion, and beware of envy!
•

In the second recension this speech

mouth of Anastratus.

Then he:
is

put into the

The Turba Philosophorum,

172

You must know

that the envious have

described this arcanum in the shade

;

and astronomy,
and the art of images they have also
likened it to trees
they have ambiguously concealed it by the names of
metals, vapours, and reptiles
as is
in physical reasoning

;

;

;

generally perceived
I,

in all their work.

nevertheless, direct you, investigators

of this science, to take iron and draw
it

into plates

;

finally,

mix

(or sprinkle)

venom, and place it in its
vessel, the mouth of which must be
closed most carefully, and beware lest
ye too much increase the humour, or,
on the other hand, lest it be too dry,
it

with

but

stir it

cause,

not

be

while,

vigorously as a mass, be-

the water be in excess,

if

contained

if it

in

be too dry,

it

the

it

will

chimney,

will neither

be

conjoined nor cooked in the chimney;

hence

I

gently
the

;

direct
finally,

mouth

internally

and,

you to confect

it

place

vessel,

of which

and

it

in

its

dili-

must be closed

externally

with

clay,

having kindled coals above

it,

The Turha Philosophorum,

some days ye

after

already liquefied

open

shall

there shall ye find

173

the

and

it,

plates

iron

while on the lid of

;

For

the vessel ye shall find globules.

when the

fire

kindled the vinegar*

is

ascends, because

passes into the

wherefore,

air,

nature

spiritual

its

direct

I

you to keep that part separately. Ye
must also know that by multipliedt
decoctions and attritions it is congealed
and coloured by the fire, and its
nature

By

changed.

is

decoction and liquefaction
not disjoined. +

•

Among

entitled

I

a

similar

Cambar

you that

notify to

the Greek technical treatises there

The Work

of the

is

Four Elements, and

is

one

this contains

a brief section on the Nomenclature of the Divine Vinegar

and the Divine Water, which

worth

is

citing

in

con-

nection with the question of the unity of subjects amidst

the multiplicity of names.

Here

what the Philosophers

is

" Divine water, divine vinegar, white

say on this subject

:

magnesia, water

of calx, virgin's urine, mercury,

sea

water, virginal milk, milk of the she ass, the bitch, the

black cow, alum

water, ash of cabbage, of natron, oc-

cidental matter, vapour.

There

is

whitens the body of magnesia, that
t

The number

three

is

the substance which

is,

burnt copper, &c."

indicated

by

the

second

recension.
X

The second

recension says that

it is

disjoined.

^^^^

174

by the

Turba Philosophorum,

frequent

said

decoction

the

weight of a third part of the water

is

consumed, but the residue becomes a
wind in the Cambar of the second
spirit.*
And know ye that nothing is

more precious or more
sand

red

the

Sputum

sea,

the

for

united with the

is

Luna

Sun's rays.t

the

of

light

Luna

of

excellent than

the

of

is

perfected by the coming on of night,

by

and

dew

heat

the

wounded,

dew

the

the

Then, that being

congealed.

is

Sun

of the

the

of

death-

and the more the days
pass on the more intensely is it conFor he
gealed, and is not burned.
dealer

is

joined,!

who cooks

with the

Sun

is

himself

and that signal whiteness
to overcome the terrene fire.

congealed, §

causes
"

*

Which Cambar and

thereof,"

the

J

§

substitutes
is

is

Omitted
For

bears in the belly

the second recension, the sand

spume of the Moon, which

the Sun, and

Sun

its spirit

the alternative reading.

is

According to

t
•*

it

is

joined to the light ot

congealed."
in the

second recension.

this nonsensical
:

is

"That which

congealed."

passage the second recension
is

cooked by the heat of the

The Turba Philosophorum,

Then

O

Bonites

saith

:

Do you

of

And Balgus: Thou speakest
And he: Why, therefore, hast
omitted to describe that

Luna

copper

our

except

nothing

tinges

not know,

Spume

Balgus, that the

175

?

truly^

thou

tree, of the fruit

whereof whosoever eateth shall hunger

nevermore
person,*

?

And Balgus

who has

me

after

same

operating,

priately

certain

followed science, has

discovered this

notified to

A

:

what manner he
tree, and approdid

the

extract

But when I
and eat of it.
inquired of him concerning the growth
and the increment, he described that
fruit

But the Philosophers, beholding him turned into blood, leave him
blood.

in the

sun for certain days, until the

is consumed, the blood dries
and they find that venom which
now is manifest. Then the wind is

lenitude

up,

hidden.
The Sixtieth Dictum,

BoNELLUs*
ciples,

saith:

that out

Know,
of

all

the elect

ye

dis-

things

nothing becomes useful without con*

In the second recension the

name

is

Bodillus.

The Titrha Philosophorum.

l8o

junction and regimen,* because sperma

generated out of blood and desire.

is

For the man mingling with
is nourished by
of the womb, and by the
blood, and by heat, and

the sperm

the
the

woman,
humour

moistening

when

forty

sperm is
formed. But if the humidity of the
blood and of the womb were not heat,
the sperm would not be dissolved, nor
the foetus be procreated.
But God
has constituted that heat and blood
for the nourishment of the sperm until
the foetus is brought forth, after which
it is not nourished, save by milk and
have

nights

dust,

more,

and the more
towards

led

is

at

which it
behoves
*

it

it

burns the

the bones being strengthened,

it

it

the

sparingly and gradually, while

fire,

is

elapsed

Otherwise

:

arriving

independent. +

is

you
"

youth,

also

Know

that

nothing

Thus
act

to
is

in

generated

without complexion."
t

This absurd confusion

recension, which reads

:

'*

is

not found in the second

So long as

it

is

nourished with milk, and in proportion as the
is

maintained, the bones are strengthened."

little,

vital

it

is

heat

I

The Turba Philosophorum,

Know

this Art.

nothing

is

i8i

ye that without heat

ever generated, and that the

bath causes the matter to perish by

means

of intense heat.

If,

indeed,

and

frigid, it

puts to

but

have been tempered,

if it

flight

it

be

disperses,

con-

it is

venient and sweet to the body, where-

the

fore

has

become

veins

the flesh

been

smooth and
Behold it

augmented.

is

demonstrated

to you,

all

ye disciples

!

and

things which ye attempt

in

all

to rule, fear

Understand, therefore,

God.

The Sixty-First Dictum,

MosES

saiih

It is to

:

the envious have

be observed that

named

lead of copper

instruments of formation, simulating,
deceiving prosterity,* to

whom

give

I

notice that there are no instruments

our own white, strong,

except from

and splendid powder, and from our
*

This passage

translatable.

envious

making
number

is

so corrupt as to be almost un-

According to the second recension

many ways

in

lead,

and have represented

of instruments," etc.

:

• The

described the process of

have

that there are a

The Turba Philosophorum.

i82

stone* and marble,

concave

to

the

whole work whereof there is no more
suitable powder, nor one more conjoined to our composition,

powder of

Alociae,+

produced

instruments

than the

out of which are
formation.

of

Further, the Philosophers have already
said

Take instruments out

:

of the egg.

Yet they have not said what the egg
nor of what bird. I
And know ye

is,

The concave

*

stone does not seem to be a term

which entered into the nomenclature of

We hear much concerning
is

later philosophers.

the form of the stone, but that

not to be understood as

its

configuration, being used in

the same sense as Latin theology was accustomed to speak of
the form of the soul.

So Bernard Trevisan,

Thomas of Boiwnia

:

form

formal

(forma formabilis) such

sensitive, yet, nevertheless,

formata),
is

which form

because

it

is

is

in his Epistle to

" Our stone does not possess a

it

as vegetative or

has a formed form (forma

the elements themselves, and this

homogeneous, whereas the human body,

or that of other sensitive things,

is

heterogeneous."

For

the term concave stone the second recension substitutes

gleaming,
t

A

i.e.,

might suggest
i.e,t

"
J

candidus.

severe

critic,

a

having failed to trace

slight

many words and no
This entire passage

this term,

emendation, and read Alogia,
sense."
is

considerably shortened in the

second recension, which simply observes that out of the

powder mentioned
to the

at the beginning, instruments

egg are composed, but that

envious have omitted to

name

at the

the egg, etc.

adapted

same time the

The Turba Philosophorum,

that the regimen

more

of these things

is

than the entire work,

difficult

because,

183

the composition be ruled

if

more than it should be, its light is
taken and extinguished by the sea.
Wherefore
the
Philosophers have
ordered that

should be ruled with

it

The moon,

profound judgment.
being at the

fore,

place in sand

know ye

till it

full,

there-

take this and

And

be dissolved.

that while ye are placing the

samC' in sand and repeating the pro-

ye have patience, ye err

cess, unless
in ruling,

and corrupt the work.

Cook,

therefore,

the

same

in

a gentle

until

ye

see

that

it

is

Then

extinguish with vinegar, and ye

shall

find

dissolved.

one thing separated from

three companions.

the

fire

first, Ixir,

And know ye

that

commingles, the second

burns, while the third liquefies.*
•

Alchemy does not seem

nised the existence
indeed,

it

of

holds there

degrees of perfection.

three

is

In

to have generally recogelixirs.

but one

elixir,

Fundamentally,

having various

Zosimus, however, recognises

in

the true powder of perfection the existence of three powers

and three

activities

proceeding from those powers, namely,

The Turba Philosopher urn.

184

the

place, therefore,

first

ounces of vinegar twice
the vessel

second when

—

while

first

made

being

is

impose nine

and

hot,

heated.

it is

The Sixty-Second Dictum,

MuNDUS
all

saith

ye seekers after

know

this Art, to

whatsoever

that

O

behoves you,

It

:

Philosophers

the

have narrated or ordained, Kenckel,
herbs, geldum,

thing

Do

!*

about
there

a
is

of

plurality

things,

which

to

names

at

it

black, because

been extracted from
penetration,

and

fixation,

just

The

at the

gecond

is

metals

is

*

the

same time held

Philosophers
etc."

to

have

the

a

body

distinction is

much of

and so also the

the

Elixir of

to be the medicine of

second

named

And

Elixir at the Red, yet the

in exaltation,

first

at the

According

Geldum,

Later alchemists speak

White and the

as

has

it

our sea.

has mathematically three dimensions.
a mere subtlety.

have

they

and having
name, they

will,

proper

the

have called

Elixir

for

one Tyrian tincture of the

abolished

tincture,

trouble

therefore,

not,

Philosophers
given

and carmen, are one

Gold

recension:

men.

"Certain

Chelidony, Karnech,

The Turba Philosophorum.

know

that

ancient

the

condescend

not

to

185

did

priests

wear

artificial

garments, whence, for purifying altars,

and lest they should introduce into
them anything sordid or impure, they
tinged Kenckel with a Tyrian colour;
but our Tyrian colour, which they
placed in their altars and treasuries,
was more clean and fragrant than
can be described by me, which also
has been

extracted

and most pure

sea,

from

which

nor

impure

is

and

pleasant odour,

of a

sordid

our

red

sweet and
is

neither

putrefaction.

in

And know ye that we have given
many names to it, which are all
true

— an

example of which,

that possess understanding,
in

corn that

after

grinding

traced

For

is

for those
is

to

be

being ground.

it

another name, and after

called

is
it

by

has been

and the
various substances have been separapassed through

ted one from

has

its

the

sieve,

another, each of these

own name, and

mentally there

is

yet funda-

but one name, to

!

The Turba Philosophorum.

1 86

corn,

wit,

many names
Thus we call the

from which

are distinguished.

purple

in

each

grade of

by the name of

its

own

its

regimen

colour.

The Sixty -Third Dictum,

Philosophus*

sailh

:

I

notify to pos-

male and
female, wherefore the envious have
body of Magnesia,
called it the
because therein is the most great
terity

that

arcanum

!

nature

the

is

Accordingly,

O

all

ye

seekers after this Art, place Magnesia
in

its

vessel,

Then, opening

and
it

cook

after

diligently

some days, ye

changed into
water.
Cook further until it be coagucontain itself.
and
But, when
lated,
ye hear of the sea in the books of the
envious, know that they signif}^ humour,
while by the basket they signify the
vessel, and by the medicines they
shall

find

the

whole

mean Nature, because
*

the

it

germinates

In the second recension, this speech

mouth of Rarson.

is

put into

The Turha Philosophorwn.

and
say

But when the envious

flowers.*

Wash

:

187

until the blackness of the

copper passes away, certain people name

But Agadimon
demonstrated when he

this blackness coins.

has

clearly

boldly put forth these words

O

be noted,

all

:

It is to

ye demonstrators of

this art, that the things [or the copper]

being

first

mixed and cooked once, ye

shall

find

the prescribed blackness!

That
This,

Wise,

become

to say, they all

is

therefore,

is

the

lead

which

concerning

black.

of

they

the

have

treated very frequently in their books.

Some

also

call

lead]

[the

it

of our

black coins.
The Sixty-Fourth Dictum A

Pythagoras

saith

:

How

marvellous

Philosophers

is

the diversity of the

in

those things which they formerly

asserted,

gether
•

and

their

agreement]

[or

,

coming
in

According to the second recension

buds and flowers
t

in

is

This dictum

recension.

:

to-

respect
" That which

one nevertheless."
is

omitted altogether by the second

—
The Turba Philosophorum,

1 88

and most common thing,

of this small

wherein the precious thing is concealed!

And

O

the vulgar knew,

if

all

ye

in-

same small
and vile thing, they would deem it a
lie
Yet, if they knew its efficacy,
they would not vilify it, but God hath
vestigators of this art, the

!

concealed this from the crowd* lest
the world should be devastated.
The Sixty 'Fifth Dictum.

HoRFOLCUS

You must know,

saith ;t

O

all ye
who love wisdom, that
whereas Mundus hath been teaching

and

this

Art,

most

lucid

placing

syllogisms,

you

before

he that does

not understand what he has said

a brute animal
the regimen

But

!

of this

I

is

will explain

small

thing,

in

order that any one, being introduced
into

this

Art,

may become

* Literally

" from the sea."

t In

second

the

recension

the

bolder,!

speaker

is

called

Orfulus.
X

On

the principle of Zosimus: "

thine inexperience,

thing has
well."

On

become

Be not dissuaded by

and when you perceive that everyash,

understand then that

the Diversity of

Burnt Copper,

all

goes

;

The Turha Philosophorum,

may more

189

and
although it be small, may compose
the common with that which is
dear, and the dear with that which
is

assuredly consider

Know

common.

it,

ye that

in

the

beginning of the mixing, it behoves
to commingle elements which

you

crude,

are

cooked

gentle,

the

until

and

sincere,

governed,

Beware

fire.

for

or

over

a

not

gentle

of intensifying the fire

elements

are

conjoined,

these should follow one

another,

and be embraced in a complexion,
whereby they are gradually burnt, until
they be dessicated in the said gentle

And know that one spirit burns
fire.
one thing and destroys one thing,
and one body strengthens one spirit,
and teaches the same
the

tion,

it

to contend with

But, after the

fire.
is

necessary that

first
it

combus-

should be

washed, cleansed, and dealbated on the
fire until all things become one colour
with which, afterwards,

behoves you
mix the residuum of the whole
humour, and then its colour will be

to

it

The Turba Philosophonim,

I go

exalted.

For

diligently

cooked

the

and are changed
because the

in the fire, rejoice,

into different natures,

liquefied,

becomes

lead,

humid becomes

which

pher saith

fire.
:

the

the

the thick body

dry,

fleeing spirit

do battle

to

Whence

the Philoso-

Convert the elements and

thou shalt find

But

is

not-liquefied,*

becomes a spirit, and the
becomes strong and fit
against the

being

elements,

what

thou

to convert the elements

seekest.

is

to

make

the moist dry and the fugitive fixed.
These things being accomplished
by the disposition, let the operator
in the fire until the gross

leave

it

made

subtle,

and the subtle remain as

Know

a tingeing spirit.

death and

the

be

life

ye, also, that

elements

of the

and that the composite germinates itself, and produces
that which ye desire, God favouring.
But when the colours begin ye shall
behold the miracles of the wisdom
proceed from

•

liquid

fire,

According to the second recension

becomes liquid which

is

:

*«

The non-

the head of this art."

The Turba Philosophorum.
of

God,

the Tyrian colour be

until

O

accomplished.

Nature,

wonder-working

tingeing other natures

heavenly

Nature,

converting

men!

191

separating

and

by

regi-

is

more

elements

the

Nothing,

O

I

therefore,

than
these
Natures in
Nature which multiplies the
composite,
and makes fixed and

precious
that

scarlet.

The Sixty -Sixth Dictum,*

ExEMiGANUs

O

treated,

saith

and concealed
as

nesia,

hast

Thou

silver,

hast already

which

is

Mag-

behoves thee, and thou

it

commanded

posterity

experiment] and

to

[or

:

Lucas, concerning living

to

prove

read the

to

books, knowing what the Philosophers

have said

Search the latent

:

disesteem

remains
effects

*

it

spirit

and

when it
arcanum and

not, seeing that

it

is

a great

many good

This dictum

is

and that which follows

things.

omitted in the second recension,
is

put into the mouth of Emiganus.

The Turba Philosophorum,

192

The Sixty-Seventh Dictum.

Lucas saitk
and what I

testify

I

:

forth

set

to

is

posterity,

more

lucid

than are your words, that the Philosopher saith :* Burn the copper, burn
the

Hermiganus
Behold something more dark

silver,

replies:

than

ever

Illumine,

said

Turba

The

!

he

— Burn,

answereth

:

which is
As to that which he
that

therefore,

And

dark.

is

burn the gold.

:

burn, burn, the diversity

only in the names, for they are one

and the same thing. And they: Woe
unto you
how shortly hast thou
!

dealt with

it

with jealousy
that

And

why art thou poisoned
And he Is it desirable

!

!

:

speak

should

I

they

:

Do

so.

more

And

he

:

clearly?
I

signify

make

that to whiten

is

red

For the envious have

•

to burn, but to

is

life.t

The

following variation occurs in the opening of

the second recension

:

"

The books

of the

Philosophers

should be read, for they have not in vain advised that the

sucking child should be heeded,

for therein is

an arcanum,

out of which the Wise have operated good things."
t
is

According to the second recension: "

to vivify.'*

To make

red

The Tnrha Philosophonan.

many names

multiplied

193

that

they

might lead posterity astray, to

whom

I

testify that the definition of this

Art

is

the liquefaction of the body

and

the separation of the soul from the

body, seeing that copper,

like

has a soul and a body.
it

behoves you,

Doctrine,
extract

destroy

to

the
!

of the

body and
Where-

not penetrate the body,

but that there
is

ye Sons

Philosophers said that the

body does
which

all

the soul therefrom

the

fore

O

a man,

Therefore,

a

is

the soul, and

nature,

subtle
it

which

is this

and penetrates the body. In
nature,
therefore, there is a body
and there is a souL
The Turba
answereth :
Despite your desire to
explain, you
have put forth dark
tinges

words.

And

he

:

I

signify

that the

envious have narrated and said that
the

splendour

appear unless

when it
Mercury

of
it

ascends
is

Saturn

does

not

perchance be dark
in

the

air,

hidden by the rays

that

of the

Sun, that quicksilver vivifies the

body

^^^ Turba Philosophorum,

194

and thus the work
is accomplished. But Venus, when she
becomes oriental, precedes the Sun.*
by

its fiery

strength,

The Sixty -Eighth Dictum.

Attamus

saith-'

O

Know,

all

ye

in-

vestigators of this Art, that our work,

of which ye have

been inquiring,

is

produced by the generation of the sea,
by which and with which, after God,
Take, therethe work is completed
fore, Halsut and old sea stones, and
!

boil with coals until

Then

they become white.

extinguish in white vinegar.

If

24 ounces thereof have been boiled,
let the heat be extinguished with a
third part

of the vinegar, that

is,

8

pound with white vinegar, and
cook in the sun and black earth for 42
days. But the second work is performed from the tenth day of the
month of September to the tenth day

ounces

•

;

This

in the note

is

the second of the two passages mentioned

on page i68 of this volume as containing traces

of a planetary attribution of

57th Dictum, the reference
chemical.

metals,

but,

as

in

may be astronomical and

the

not

:

The Turba Philosophormn.

Do

[or grade] of Libra.

195

not impose

the vinegar a second time in this work,

but leave the same to be cooked until

up and it
Egyptian
earth.
And the fact that one work is
congealed more quickly and another
more slowly, arises from the diversity
of cooking.
But if the place where it
is cooked be humid and dewy it is congealed more quickly, while if it be dry
it is congealed more slowly.
all

vinegar be

its

becomes a

fixed

dried

earth, like

The Sixty-Ninth Dictum*

am

Florus

saith

fecting

thy treatise,

I

:

thinking of per-

O

Mundus,

for

thou has not accomplished the dis-

O

Proceed,

Florus

the cooking

of

position

:

I

A nd

!

And

Philosopher!

teach you,

O

he

Sons of the

Doctrine, that the sign of the good-

ness

the

of

extraction of

Describe

Florus
ter

is

:

decoction

first
its

what

When
entirely

redness!
is

is

And

redness.

the

he:

And

ye see that the matblack,

know

that

The Turba Philosophonim.

196

whiteness

has

been

hidden

in

Then

belly of that blackness.

it

the
be-

hoves you to extract that whiteness

most subtly from that blackness,

for

ye know how to discern between them.
But in the second decoction let that
whiteness be placed in a vessel with
instruments, and

its

gently
white.

let

be cooked

it

it
become completely
But when, O all ye seekers

until

after this Art,

ye shall perceive that

whiteness appear and flowing over

be certain that redness
whiteness

However,

is

all,

hid in that

does not
behove you to extract it,* but rather
to cook it until the whole become a
most deep red, with which nothing

can

!

Know

compare.

it

that the

also

produced out of the
nature of Marteck, and that redness
first

blackness

extracted

is

is

from

that

blackness,

which red has improved the black,
and has made peace between the
fugitive and the non-fugitive, reducing
*

you

The second

to extract

it.

recension affirms that

it

does behove

The Ttirba Philosophorum.

two

the

unswereth

And why was

:

Turba

The

one.

into

197

this

A nd

?

Because the cruciated matter
it
is submerged in
the body,
changes it into an unalterable and

he

:

when

indelible

nature.

therefore, to

know

this

blackens the body.
that

the

same

handled, but

And

it

behoves

It

you,

sulphur which

And know ye

cruciates

the sulphur which

be

cannot

sulphur

and

tinges.

blackens

is

that which does not open the door

the fugitive

to

and

turns

into

Do you

with the fugitive.*

fugitive

the

not see that the cruciating does not

harm or corruption, but
by coadunation and utility of things ?t
For if its victim were noxious and

cruciate with

would not be embraced
until its colours were exunalterable
from
it
and

inconvenient,

thereby
tracted
*

that

it

According to the second recension

which

is

;

"It converts

non-fugitive into a fugitive nature."

Both

readings are corrupt and ungrammatical.
t

The second

reading

:

recension

somewhat

reverses

this,

" That which cruciates with harm or corruption

does not cruciate with

utility

and coadunation."

ig8

The Ttirba Philosophonim,

This we have called water
of sulphur, which
water we have
prepared for the red tinctures; for
indelible.

the rest

which
not
I

it

come

have

does not blacken

does

this

to pass without

testified to

but that

;

does blacken, and

blackness,

be the key of the

work.
The Seventieth Dictum,

MuNDUS*

saith

:

Know,

ye investi-

all

gators of this Art, that the head
things,

which

imposes

if it

hath not,

profits nothing.

all

is all

that

Accordingly,

the Masters have said that what
perfected

is

one,

it

and a

is

diversity of

natures does not improve that thing,

but one and a suitable nature, which

it

behoves you to rule carefully, for by
ignorance of ruling some have erred.

Do

not heed, therefore, the plurality of

these compositions, nor those things

which the
merated in

their

nature of truth
*

have enu-

philosophers

is

For the
and the followers

books.

one,

In the second recension the

name

is

Mandinus.

y^9

The Turba Philosophorum.

of

Nature have termed

thing in the belly whereof

it

th^ one

is

concealed

the natural arcanum.

This arcanum
is neither seen nor known except by
the Wise. He, therefore, who knows

how

to extract its complexion

and

rules

equably, for him shall a nature rise

which shall conquer all
and then shall that word be
which was written by the

forth therefrom

natures,
fulfilled

Masters, namely, that Nature rejoices

Nature, Nature overcomes Nature,
and Nature contains Nature; at the
same time there are not many or

in

diverse

Natures, but one

having in

own natures and

properties,

itself its

by which it prevails over other things.
Do you not see that the Master has
begun with one and finished one ?

Hence has he
Sulphureous

called

Water,

those

unities

conquering

all

Nature.
The Seventy-First Dictum,

Bracus*
*

saith

:

How elegantly Mundus

In the second recension this dictum

Archelaus.

is

ascribed to

!

200

The Turba Philosophonim.

hath described this sulphureous water

For unless solid bodies are destroyed
by a nature wanting a body, until the
bodies become not-bodies, and even as
a most tenuous spirit, ye cannot
[attain] that most tenuous and tingeing soul, which is hidden in the natural
belly.
And know that unless the body
be withered up and so destroyed that it
dies, and unless ye extract from it its
soul, which is a tingeing spirit, ye are
unable to tinge a body therewith.
The Seventy-Second Dictum.

The

compo-

Philosophus*

saith

sition, that

the body of Magnesia,

is

made out

is,

:

first

of several things, although

they become one, and are called by

one name, which the ancients have
termed Albar of copper. But when it
is ruled it is called by ten names, taken
from the colours which appear in the
regimen of the body of this Magnesia.
It is necessary, therefore, that

be turned into blackness
*

The second

;

the lead

then the ten

recension refers this dictum to Philotis.

f

I

The Turba Philosophorum,

201

aforesaid shall appear in the ferment

of gold, with sericon,* which

is

a com-

by ten names. When
have been said, we
mean nothing more by these names
than Albar of copper, because it tinges
every body which has entered into the
position called

these things

all

composition.
fold

— one

When

is

But composition
humid, the other

is

two-

is

dry.

they are cooked prudently they

become

and are called the good
But when it
becomes red it is called Flower of Gold,
Ferment of Gold, Gold of Coral,
Gold of the Beak. I It is also called
redundant red sulphur and red orpiment.
But while it remains crude
lead of copper, it is called bars and
plates of metal.
Behold I have reone,

thing of several names.

*

Sericon

is

one of the names of Minium, according to

Rulandus, but M. Berthelot explains that
bination of

Sandyx and

it

was a com-

Sinopis.

t Later alchemical writers define

matter of the Philosophers

when

it

Gold

of Coral as the

has become fixed a

ihe red stage.
I

fectly

The

significance of this phrase

inscrutable,

but

is

is,

of course, per-

there any reference

rostrum or rostellum of the alembic

?

to

the

202

The Turha Philosophorum,

vealed

names when

its

raw, which

is

it

also we should distinguish from the
names when it has been cooked. Let
it

therefore

behoves

me now

quantity of the
its

pondered

be

over.

It

you the
and the numbers of

to exhibit to

fire,

days,* and the diversity of intensity

thereof in every grade, so that he
shall

possess this

unto

himself,t

book

and

may

be

who

belong

from

freed

poverty, so that he shall remain secure
in that

those

middle way which

who

is

closed to

are deficient in this most

have seen, therefore,

precious art.

I

many

fire.

kinds of

One

is

made

out

of straw and cinder, coals and flame,

Experiment

but one without flame.

shows

that

there

intermediate

are

But lead

grades between these kinds.
is

lead of copper, in

whole
•

Now,

arcanum.

Greek, in

common

with

recognised the necessity for

a favourable moment."

which

"a

all

is

the

concerning

other alchemists, have

certain lapse of time

and

See Olympiodorus On the Sacred

Art.
t

Compare the motto

qui 8UU8 esse potest.

of Paracelsus

:

Alterius non

sit

The Turba Phtlosophorum,

203

the days of the night in which will be

the

perfection of the
most great
arcanum, I will treat in its proper
place in what follows. And know most

assuredly that

a

if

little

gold be placed

in the composition, there will result

patent and white tincture.
also a sublime gold
is

a

Wherefore

and a patent gold

found in the treasuries of the former

Wherefore those things
are unequal which they introduce into
their composition.
Inasmuch as the
elements are commingled and are
turned into lead of copper, coming
philosophers.

out of their own former natures, they are

new

turned into a

Then they

nature.

are called one nature

and one genus.

These things being accomplished,

it is

placed in a glass vessel, unless in a
certain

way the composition

water and

is

altered in

every grade

it

is

when

venerable

by

Although

concerning

drinks the

In

colours.

beheld,

coloured

a

its

this

it

is

redness.

we

elixir

read in the sayings of the philosophers

Take

gold, occurring frequently,

it

:

is

The Ttirha PJiilosophorum.

204

only needful to do so once.
therefore, to

know the

Wishing,

certitude of the

adversary, consider what Democritus"^
saith,

how he

begins speaking from

bottom to top, then reversing matters
he proceeds from top to bottom. For,
he said Take iron, lead, and albart
for copper, which reversing, he again
says And our copper for coins, lead
:

:

in

and

gold, gold for gold of coral,

for

gold of coral for gold of crocus.
the second place,

Again,

when he begins

from the top to the bottom, he saith

Take

gold,

iron

he

;

coin,

shews,

copper,

lead,

and

by

his

therefore,

sayings that only semi-gold

And
into
*

without doubt gold
rust

without lead

Democritus at

effectually

is

silenced,

taken.

is

not changed

and copper,

the beginning of the assembly

in

which he

be well in this place to enumerate the terms,

mostly of oriental origin, occurring in the Turba

no explanation can

Absumech,

at

present be found.

for

which

They

are:

Ebmich, Corsufle, Mucra, Murtal, Geldum,

Halsut, Albar, and the curious use of the Latin

Carmen.

is

and now seems to be quoted as an

enemy at the conclusion of a symposium
was forbidden to participate.
t It will

:

word

The Turha Philosoplwrum,

205

and unless it be imbued with vinegar
known by the wise, until, being cooked,
it

turned

is

This,

redness.

into

therefore, is the redness

which

the

all

Philosophers signified, because, however

they said

Take

:

gold and

it

Take gold of
becomes gold of coral
coral and it becomes purple gold all
;

—

names of those
behoves them that

these things are only
colours,

for

it

vinegar be placed in
colours

come from

it,

because these

But by these

it.

things which the Philosophers

have

mentioned under various names, they
have signified stronger bodies and forces.
It

taken, therefore, once,

is

may become
is

imposed

on

each
water

being

it.

appear,

it

is

may be

it

necessary
forty

in

desiccated,

consumed;
and placed

being

imbued

For when the

decocted

be

days, so that

the

it

rubigo and then vinegar

said colours

that

that

finally

in

the

cooked until its utility
appear.
Its first grade becomes as a
citrine mucra, the second as red, the

vessel,

it

is

The Turba Philosophorum,

2o6

pounded crocus of the
it imposed upon coin.

third as the dry

So

vulgar.

is

Conclusion*

Agmon saith :
by way of a

add the following

I will

Whosoever

corollary.

does not liquefy and coagulate errs
Therefore,

greatly.

black

;

make

the earth

separate the soul and the water

thereof,

afterwards whiten

so

;

shall

what ye seek. I say unto you
that whoso makes earth black and then
dissolves with fire, till it becomes even
like unto a naked sword, who also fixes
the whole with consuming fire, deserves
to be called happy, and shall be exalted
This
above the circle of the world.

ye find

much concerning the revelation of our
stone, is, we doubt not, enough for the
Sons of the Doctrine. The strength
thereof, shall never

become corrupted,

but the same, when

it

fire,

shall

dissolve,
•

be increased.
it

shall

This constitutes

recension, and

is

is

placed in the
If

you seek to

be dissolved
the last

Dictum

in

but

;

if

the second

omitted from the longer version.

;

The Turba Philosophormn.

207

you would coagulate, it shall be coagulated.
Behold, no one is without it,
and yet all do need it
There are
many names given to it, and yet it is
called by one only, while, if need be, it is
concealed. It is also a stone and not
a stone, spirit, soul, and body; it is
!

white, volatile, concave, hairless, cold,

and yet no one can apply the tongue
If you
its surface.
wish that it should fly, it flies if you
say that it is water, you speak the truth
if you say that it is not water, you speak
falsely.
Do not then be deceived by
the multiplicity of names, but rest
assured that it is one thing, unto which

with impunity to

;

nothing alien

is

added.

Investigate

the place thereof, and add nothing that
is

foreign.

Unless the names were

multiplied, so that the vulgar might be

deceived,

wisdom.

many

would

deride

our

;

INDEX.
Death,

22.

Democrinis,

Dew,

Dragon,

Earth.

17B.

B-13, so, zi, 27.

.BHU^TUli 41^25-27.

XX7» X2X« 167, X9K.

xaob

OOx, 44. 45. 49, 145CMnbar, 70, 139, 351,

13, 14,

122.

maXjOb X15-I37*

i55-

161.

Citrine, 97.

•rf CHiiH-. Ti^iSi.

Coagola, z6x.

-arGaU,3K.x«3.

Coin,

^.

30,41,7a, 74, Sa, loo, 113,

I3fi.

Copper,

2B, 32, 44, 6s, 75, B6, B7,

90, 33, 94, 302,

3C53,

105, io5,

114, 117, 12a, 122, 132, :s5. 125,
13S, 14a, 155, 169, 155.

Corsirfie, 99, loo, 106, 1^7, 15;.

CrocnBjSi.

(iadenbe, 39.
joid, 57, 60, 61, 62, 90,

J44;

goa

11:5,

e<i S3. 34.

113,

^^

»

210
Golden Water,
Greenstone,

Gum,

61-63

Permanent Water,

134.

67.

of ascotia, log

;

;

of

Quicksilver, 36, 76, 77, 79, 80, 82,

Halsut, 194.

Heart of the Sun,

68.

84,

117, 162.

i, 2, 54,

Hidden Glory,

139. 145.

67.

Redness,

34, 35, 52, 53, 58, 59. 82,

90, 91, 104, 106, 123, 130, 143.

Red

Slave, 96.

Rotundum,

of the Art, 25.

Kuhul,

93, 135-137.

85,

191. 193.

Ixir, 78, 100, 121, 122, 126, 130.

Key

107, 117.

119,122,133.
Putrefaction, 76, 165.

scoria, 44.

Hermes,

31, 34, 39« 45

49, 64-66, 76, 82, 94,

34, 48, 55, 71, 145, 169, 185.

Rubigo,

133.

143, 160, 164, 170.

Rust, 52, 107, 130, 132.

Lead,

54, 55, 57, 60, 72, 81, 82, 93,

100, 161

;

red lead,

Leaven of Gold,

Saginatum,

60, 61.

Shadow
Smoke,
Magnesia,

38, 39. 71. T7,

133. 137. 146

;

body

"8,

119,

of, 34, 84,

112, 132, 145, 186.

Magnet,

42, '77,^^, 79-

Male and Female,
89. 96, 135. 180.

Marteck,

152, 196.

Mercury,

193.

Milk of Fig,

Mucra,

31.

Saturn, 193.

31.

57, 60, 77, 79,

of Metals, 70, 76.
58, 144.

Spirit of Brass, 67.

Spume

of the

Moon,

43, 44, 67,

145, 168, 174.

Stone, 44, 45, 69, 91, 93, 109, 114

;

of gold, 125.

Sulphur,

34, 36, 39. 46. 52. 57, 87,

122, 137.

Sun,

69.

63.

76, 160, 205.

Testa, 163.

Tin, 79,

Nitre, 121.

80, 132, 146.

Tincture,

28, 35, 86, 141.

Tyrian Dye,

Orpiment,

57, 139.

184.

47-50, 74, 90, 92, 131,

211
Urine,

48, 63, 106.

Venom,

46,

"9, 130,
Venus, 194.

69,

Water,

75, 98, 109, 117,

139. i44> 150.

Vinegar, 51-54,
132, 134. 173-

8-12,

4,

20,

21,

alum, 38:

of

gold,

of iron,

117;

nitre, 38, 55, 132
30, 49. 53

;

27;

of

dew, 63; of

;

38;

of

of our sea,

of sulphur, 87, 137,

139. 147'
58,

90,

119, 121,

Whiteness,
143.

29, 52, 53, 58, 59i 123,

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382551
Turba philosophorum,
Alchen^r.

QD25
T87
1896

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382551
Turba philosophorum
Alchemy.

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QD25
T87
1896

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